Archives: Bills

What HB 733 does: Creates a new insurance consumer and policyholder advocate position within the Georgia Department of Insurance and tightens rate-review rules by replacing the file-and-use system for auto insurance with a prior-approval process. Rate increase filings would be posted publicly within 10 days of submission, and any increase of 10% or more within 12 months would trigger a mandatory DOI examination.

Consumer impact: HB 733 does not explicitly apply to health insurance, which is a significant gap for Georgia consumers.

What SB 461 does: Takes the opposite approach from SB 460, proposing to make DHS the single agency responsible for Medicaid administration. SB 460 and SB 461 represent competing visions for how Georgia should organize its Medicaid program.

Consumer impact: Moving Medicaid to DHS would separate coverage policy from health care delivery expertise, requiring DHS to build new capacity in complex areas such as care management contracts, provider reimbursement, and quality oversight, where the agency lacks deep experience. The transition faces uncertain federal approval timelines and significant implementation risks, as Medicaid has grown substantially more complex since Georgia last housed the program within DHS.

What SB 460 does: Would transfer Medicaid eligibility determination from the Department of Human Services to the Department of Community Health. Currently, DHS and DCH share responsibility for Medicaid enrollment.

Consumer impact: The bill’s focus on fraud prevention through aggressive data matching and verification requirements could create barriers for eligible Georgians, particularly if data discrepancies produce false positives that result in coverage loss for Medicaid members. Implementation is further uncertain because the transfer requires federal approval, relies on a Gateway eligibility system that has experienced technical challenges, and grants DCH broad discretion over reevaluation frequency.

What SB 364 does: Creates new penalties for insurance companies that intentionally provide false or misleading information to state regulators to get higher premiums approved. The Commissioner could order violators to pay up to 10 times the amount they owe in refunds to policyholders.

Consumer impact: SB 364 creates a significant financial deterrent against insurance companies manipulating the rate-setting process. Combined with HB 1262’s general penalty increases, SB 364 would give regulators stronger tools to protect consumers from inflated premiums.

What SB 462 does: Extends Georgia’s surprise billing protections to emergency ground ambulance transportation. SB 462 would cap what patients pay for out-of-network ambulance rides at the same amount they’d pay for in-network rides, and prohibit ambulance companies from billing patients for the rest. The bill sets a minimum payment rate for ambulance companies at the locally negotiated rate, or, if none exists, at the lesser of 325% of Medicare rates or the billed charges.

Note: The House also added language from HB 1274, which addresses excess auto insurance profits, to SB 462.

Consumer impact: Georgians currently face unexpected ambulance bills ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars, even with insurance. SB 462 would close that gap in Georgia’s surprise billing law.

What HB 1110 does: Creates a state tax credit for small employers (10 or fewer employees) that contribute at least $100 per month toward employees’ individual health insurance through an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA).

Consumer impact: Many small businesses want to help workers with health coverage, but can’t afford traditional group plans. ICHRAs let employers contribute to employees’ individual health insurance costs. HB 1110 would make that approach more affordable for the smallest businesses. ICHRAs can negate and/or complicate an employee’s eligibility for financial assistance under the Affordable Care Act; the specifics of each employer’s ICHRA matter a lot to the actual financial impact on employees.

What HB 1192 does: Requires the Department of Human Services and the Department of Community Health to keep funds designated for specific purposes in separate accounts and report annually to the legislature on cost savings and efficiency improvements.

Consumer impact: Greater transparency could help ensure that funds designated for specific health programs actually go toward those purposes.

What HB 1238 does: Directs the state to seek federal approval for Medicaid to pay for respite care services for families caring for children under 21 with serious behavioral health conditions who are at risk of going into foster care.

Consumer impact: Families caring for children with significant behavioral health needs often reach a breaking point. Respite care gives families temporary relief while keeping kids in their homes and communities, rather than resorting to foster care or residential facilities. Respite care costs less than institutional placements and produces better outcomes for children.

What HB 1276 does: Prohibits Medicaid applicants and recipients from using self-attestation to verify income, residency, or identity and requires ongoing cross-checks of enrollees against multiple state and federal data sources. It also reduces retroactive Medicaid coverage from three months to two months, a change that likely requires federal CMS approval Georgia may not receive. If enacted as written, the bill risks erroneous disenrollments similar to the post-pandemic Medicaid unwinding and could expose Georgia to significant federal compliance liability.

What HB 1262 does: Raises the maximum penalties the Commissioner of Insurance can impose on insurance companies for violations of mental health parity reporting requirements, general insurance law, and the Surprise Billing Consumer Protection Act. The bill increases the current per-violation standard from $2,000 to $10,000 and the knowing-violation standard from $5,000 to $25,000.

Note: HB 1262 was not heard by the Senate Insurance Committee, but the bill language was presented to a Senate Insurance subcommittee, along with many other insurance reform measures. While several other insurance reform measures were added to HB 1344 before it passed out of the committee, HB 1262 was not included in the amendments.

Consumer impact: Because all penalties remain discretionary, the bill’s real-world value depends entirely on whether Georgia’s Department of Insurance (DOI) chooses to use its expanded authority. DOI has expressed support for the bill, which suggests they want to hold insurers accountable when they violate the law.