The House is advancing legislation that would give Georgia’s Insurance Commissioner significantly stronger tools to hold insurance companies accountable when they break consumer protection laws. House Bill 1262 would increase fines for violations of mental health parity requirements, surprise billing protections, and other insurance consumer protection laws from $2,000/$5,000 to $10,000/$25,000 per violation.

For large insurance companies, current fines of $2,000 or $5,000 per violation may be too small to deter misconduct. Stronger enforcement tools help ensure that insurance companies actually follow existing consumer protection laws, including mental health parity requirements under HB 1013.

This week at a glance:

• HB 1262 is on the agenda for the House Health Insurance subcommittee tomorrow (Wed., 02/18).
• HB 1002, which would move Georgia’s foster children from Medicaid managed care to a Fee-for-Service Medicaid model, and HB 1192, which would increase budgetary oversight of the Department of Community Health (DCH) and the Department of Human Services, are scheduled to be heard in the House Health Committee tomorrow (Wed., 02/18).
• SB 428, which would allow DCH to apply for a Home and Community Based Services Medicaid waiver for Georgians suffering from severe mental illness, is on the agenda in Senate Health and Human Services tomorrow.

On February 5, the Georgia House of Representatives passed its version of the Amended Fiscal Year 2026 (AFY26) state budget. The amended budget adjusts current-year spending and reflects lawmakers’ priorities for any remaining state dollars.

Here is what the House version means for health care, human services, and the programs Georgians rely on:

The Big Picture

The House budget totals $42.3 billion, a significant increase over the original FY 2026 budget, thanks to $3.3 billion in one-time investments of surplus funds. Among its health-related priorities, the House makes notable investments in Georgia’s foster care system, the health care workforce pipeline, rural health access, and mental health infrastructure. The House largely aligns with the Governor on Medicaid and PeachCare funding, with a few targeted additions.

On Wednesday, January 28, the House Health Committee passed a substitute version of Senate Bill 195, which would allow Georgia pharmacists to dispense pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV prevention without requiring a separate doctor’s prescription. If passed, pharmacists would operate under a statewide protocol developed by the Georgia Board of Pharmacy, with oversight from a Georgia-based physician.

The substitute version passed on Wednesday includes new requirements compared to the bill that passed committee unanimously last year:

• Both supervising physicians and pharmacists must reside in Georgia;
• Pharmacists must complete approved training and maintain Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification and liability insurance;
• Patients must have an in-person visit and remain for 15-minute post-administration monitoring; and
• Pharmacists must notify the patient’s primary care provider within 72 hours.

Potential concerns: While framed as patient safety measures, these amendments may limit pharmacist participation and patient access. The in-state residency requirement excludes telehealth-based protocols used in other states, training and insurance requirements add costs that may discourage participation, and the primary care notification requirement could deter individuals seeking confidential services.

GHF supports SB 195 as a meaningful step toward expanding access to HIV prevention in Georgia. Monitoring implementation will be important: if limited pharmacist participation results from the additional requirements, this data could support future amendments to strengthen access while maintaining appropriate safeguards.