Archives: Bills

HB 197 would utilize nationally recognized accreditation standards, and website identifying nationally recognized accreditation entities, so as to detail the effort that shall be made by treating health care provider to respond to a private review agent or utility review entity’s attempt to reach such provider to discuss the patient’s care; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

SB 131 would allow for the establishment of the Georgia Health Care Professionals Data System; to provide for definitions; to provide for collaboration with state licensing boards; to provide for a publicly accessible website; to provide for collection of data from state licensing boards; to provide for specified data; to provide for seeking of funding sources; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

SB 195 would provide that pharmacists are authorized to dispense preexposure prophylaxis and postexposure prophylaxis under certain conditions; to amend Article 2 of Chapter 34 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to medical practice, so as to provide for the approval or development of a training program for pharmacists by the Georgia State Board of Pharmacy; to require pharmacists to complete such training program before dispensing preexposure prophylaxis or postexposure prophylaxis; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

SB 265 would require health benefit policy coverage for medically necessary orthotic devices and prosthetic devices and their materials and components; to provide for definitions; to provide for requirements; to provide for reporting; to provide for rules and regulations; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and appropriations; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

HB 291 would establish a certification process for community health workers (CHWs) in Georgia. CHWs are frontline public health workers who help connect individuals to health care and essential services, particularly in underserved communities. They go by many titles, such as Patient Navigator, Community Health Advocate, and Promotora de Salud. By setting uniform standards and training for CHWs, creating a statewide certification system would support a skilled, stable CHW workforce.

HB 170 would require insurance companies and other health benefit providers to share information with health care providers about payments made for a patient’s care. The bill aims to improve transparency so that treating health care providers know what payments or reimbursements an insurance company has made for their services.

SB 80 would revise the definition of a “rural hospital organization” in Georgia’s tax credit program, which provides state tax credits to individuals and businesses that donate to rural hospitals. The bill updates the eligibility criteria to allow more hospitals to qualify for these tax credits, potentially increasing funding for rural health care providers.

SB68 proposes major changes to Georgia’s civil justice system by limiting certain types of damages, changing rules for lawsuits, and adjusting legal procedures related to personal injury cases, insurance claims, and liability disputes. The bill includes major changes to Georgia’s medical malpractice laws and how lawsuits against health care providers and insurers are handled. The changes to medical malpractice aim to limit the costs of medical malpractice lawsuits, reduce liability for health care providers, and adjust how damages are awarded in personal injury and medical negligence cases.

SB 39 would prohibit the use of state funds to cover gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery, for individuals enrolled in state-funded health plans or receiving public assistance. The bill also bans state-owned health care facilities and state-employed providers from offering gender-affirming care.

HB 102 would create the Georgia Quality Reporting Project (GQRP), a statewide system to track and improve health care quality in Georgia by analyzing patient care data. The project would collect clinical and claims data from Medicaid care management organizations (CMOs) to evaluate health care quality, especially in treating opioid use disorder and other conditions.

Key details:

• Data will be used to evaluate opioid care quality and other statewide health outcomes.
• Patient identities will be protected, and all data collection must follow HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) privacy rules.
• CMOs that fail to submit required data may face fines.

How is this different from the Georgia APCD?

While Georgia’s All-Payer Claims Database (APCD) already collects insurance claims data to track health care spending and utilization, the GQRP would also collect clinical data (like electronic health records) to measure the quality of care provided. This difference means that while the APCD tracks costs and usage, the GQRP will track health outcomes to assess how well treatments are working and improve patient care—especially for conditions like opioid use disorder.

Why it matters: HB 102 could help improve health care quality by tracking patient outcomes and identifying areas for improvement in Medicaid services. The focus on opioid care data could lead to stronger policies for substance use treatment and better health outcomes for Georgians. Additionally, increased transparency and accountability in health care reporting could help lower costs and improve patient care statewide.