This year, no Georgian has been left untouched by the health or economic impacts of COVID-19. The global pandemic has spotlighted the importance of public policy decisions that prioritize the health and wellness of populations, the consequences of underfunding government agencies (like departments of public health) and other essential public infrastructure, and the disparate impact that public policies have had on Black Americans and other people of color.  National, state, and local leaders, many elected by the public, are responsible for the policy decisions made ahead of and in response to COVID-19, its economic fallout, and the movement for racial justice .

Ahead of election season (October to November 3, 2020), Georgians have the opportunity to learn more about these elected positions, the decision-making power each has, and how their impact on the health and the well-being of Georgians. This year, Georgians will cast their votes for the U.S. President, members of Congress,  state legislators, state supreme court judges, and other positions.  Voters’ decisions about the candidates in each race will have an unprecedented impact on consumers health issues in Georgia as we continue to battle through the current health crisis.

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Sine Die

Georgia’s 2020 legislative session comes to a close

Friday, June 26, marked the final day of the 2020 Georgia legislative session. This year’s Sine Die (the last day of the legislative session) came after a months-long suspension due to safety concerns over COVID-19. The final two-week legislative sprint brought the approval of a number of bills that will benefit consumers if approved by the Governor. Unfortunately, this progress comes against a backdrop of steep budget cuts that will put many Georgians at risk, especially those who are most marginalized.

Below you will find an overview of the approved state budget, summaries of notable health-related legislation, and short status reports on other health bills. GHF’s legislative tracker is updated so you can check on the health bills you were watching this session.

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General Assembly passes FY2021 state budget

Legislators’ primary responsibility upon returning to the state capitol this month was to finish and pass the FY 2021 state budget, which goes into effect this Wednesday, July 1. On Thursday, the Georgia House and Senate passed a state budget that includes $2.2 billion in budget cuts for the FY 2021 budget. Although cuts were reduced from 14% to 10%, the approved budget curtails funds to many critical health care programs and social services. Notable changes to this year’s budget include:

• Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities: $91 million cut
  • One-third of the cuts ($29 million) comes from adult developmental disability services 
  • Another third ($29.9 million) comes from child and adult mental health services
• Department of Community Health: Increase of $178 million
  • Increase in funds due to a higher projected growth for Medicaid
  • $19.7 million added to provide six-months of Medicaid coverage for new mothers (see below for more info.)
• Department of Public Health: $8.2 million cut
  • Funding restored for grants to local health departments
  • No reduction in funding for maternal mortality review board

The Georgia Budget & Policy Institute provides a fuller picture of the budget cuts here. Voice’s for Georgia’s Children also has a relatively easy-to-read version of the budget changes here.

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Our priorities

General Assembly passes four bills to reform PBM practices in Georgia 

This year’s Georgia General Assembly took a keen interest in pharmacy benefit managers (commonly called PBMs). PBMs are companies that manage prescription drug benefits for health insurance companies. In order to secure lower prices on medications, PBMs have adopted practices that are seen as burdensome by pharmacies, restrictive and hard-to-navigate by consumers, and opaque by elected officials. The following four PBM bills were passed last week in an effort to increase patient access to and decrease costs of medications:

• HB 918, sponsored by Rep. Sharon Cooper, limits the practices of PBMs as they audit pharmacies so that pharmacies can more easily meet audit requests. The bill gives the benefit of the doubt to pharmacies when small or innocuous mistakes are discovered.
• HB 946, sponsored by Rep. Matt Knight, and SB 313 by Senator Dean Burke are companion bills with the same legislative language. Both bills would require that PBMs count third-party financial assistance or coupons towards a consumer’s out-of-pocket costs when the medicine is a brand-name that 1) does not have a generic or 2) a patient obtained the prescription through step-therapy, prior authorization, or their health insurance plan’s appeals process. This protection will benefit many Georgians with expensive prescriptions. The bills also increase fines on PBMs when they “steer” consumers to specific pharmacies and disallows PBMs from building drug formularies (lists of covered medicines) in a way that discriminates against people with prescription drug needs.
• HB 991, sponsored by Rep. Matt Hatchet, establishes an oversight committee which will oversee the contracts and subcontracts under the State Health Benefit Plan (covers state employees and their families), Medicaid, and PeachCare for Kids. This legislation aims to increase transparency around the pharmacy benefit managers contracted by these plans. The oversight committee is made of nine members, one of whom must be a consumer covered by one of the state health plans.

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Bill to increase taxes and raise the age of purchase for vaping products passes

Multiple pieces of legislation were introduced this year that would change the way Georgia regulates tobacco, vaping devices and other nicotine products. Ultimately, only SB 375, sponsored by Senator Jeff Mullins, saw final passage. The bill will establish a 7% tax on vaping products and would increase the age at which Georgians are allowed to purchase tobacco and vaping products to 21 years of age. This increase in the so-called “age of purchase” brings state law in line with federal law.

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Legislation to establish an All Payer Claims Database passed

SB 482, sponsored by Senator Dean Burke, builds on Georgia’s new surprise billing legislation (HB 888). HB 888 authorizes Georgia’s Department of Insurance to establish an all payer claims database (APCD) that will inform the surprise billing payment resolution process. APCDs can be a powerful tool that can also help policymakers, stakeholders, and advocates develop better understandings of health care costs, use of services, population trends, and disparities.

SB 482 goes farther than HB 888 by setting up an advisory body to assist in the creation of the APCD and establishing the purposes of the APCD, among other provisions. The advisory body does not currently include consumer representation. 

The creation of Georgia’s APCD is subject to appropriations. It was not funded in the FY2021 budget but state leaders have expressed optimism about funding it in future state budgets and attracting private funds to help support its development.

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Surprise billing legislation awaits Governor’s signature

The Surprise Billing Consumer Protection Act (House Bill 888), was recently passed by the General Assembly and now heads to Governor Kemp’s desk for his signature.

This bill will ban surprise billing in emergency and non-emergency situations beginning January 1, 2021. This success comes after years-long debate among Georgia legislators. Georgians for a Healthy Future and Georgia Watch are pleased to work closely with the Governor and Lieutenant Governor’s offices, Chairman Richard Smith, Senator Hufstetler, and Representative Lee Hawkins to finally bring a resolution to Georgia consumers. After the bill is signed by the Governor, GHF & Georgia Watch will monitor and publish more information about how legislation will work and what consumers may expect.

After the bill is signed by the Governor, GHF & Georgia Watch will monitor and publish more information about how the legislation will work and what consumers may expect.

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Postpartum Medicaid coverage bill passed and funded

HB 1114, sponsored by Rep. Sharon Cooper, would allow new mothers to receive Medicaid coverage for six months after giving birth, up from the current 60-day limit. The General Assembly approved the legislation and funding ($19.7 million) last week. HB 1114 now heads to Governor Kemp’s desk for his signature.

In order for this change to take effect, the Georgia Department of Community Health will need approval from federal health officials.

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Sine Die recap

HB 792: Amended FY 2020 Budget | SIGNED BY GOVERNOR HB 792 makes adjustments to the state budget for the current fiscal year which runs through June 30, 2020. The “little budget” has passed both chambers of the General Assembly and been signed by the Governor. The amended budget went into effect on March 17th.

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HB 793: FY 2020 Budget | SIGNED BY GOVERNOR HB 793 is the budget document for the coming state fiscal year which will run from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. The budget includes several steep cuts to behavioral health and other health care programs. 

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HB 719:  Effort to modernize HIV laws | DID NOT PASS HB 719, sponsored by Rep. Deborah Silcox, would modernize Georgia’s HIV-related laws and make progress towards decriminalizing HIV. Current Georgia law deems it a felony for people living with HIV to have sex or donate blood without disclosing their status, or for spitting at or using bodily fluids on a law enforcement officer. Under HB 719 only the act of having sex without disclosing a person’s HIV status would remain illegal.

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HB 789: Creation of a surprise bill rating system | PASSED HB 789, sponsored by Rep. Mark Newton, would create a surprise bill rating system based upon the number of certain physician specialty groups contracted with a hospital within a health insurer’s network. 

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HB 842: Gracie’s Law – organ transplant discrimination | DID NOT PASS HB 842, sponsored by Rep. Rick Williams, would protect people with disabilities from being removed from organ donor waiting lists because of their disabilities.

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HB 987: Protection of elderly persons | PASSED HB 987, sponsored by Rep. Sharon Cooper, would increase training requirements for staff members in elderly care facilities and raises the number of staff who would have to be on site at any given time to watch over residents. It would also increase fines for violations or if a facility causes a resident’s death.

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SB 303: Georgia Right to Shop Act | PASSED SB 303, sponsored by Senator Ben Watson, Chairman of the Senate Health & Human Services committee, would require that health insurers to put on their website an interactive feature that allows consumers to estimate their out of pocket costs for a particular health care service and compare quality metrics between providers, among other things. Insurers would also have to provide a phone number that consumers can call to get the same information. 

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SB 352: Online provider directories | DID NOT PASS SB 352, sponsored by Senator Burke, would allow consumers to see providers at in-network rates for their entire plan year, if the provider is listed as in-network at the time a person enrolls in their health plan. The providers included in a consumer’s insurance plan network changes regularly throughout the year and this bill would assure that the provider network advertised at the time of enrollment is the provider network they are able to access all year long.

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SB 408: Family Care Act Sunset Removal | PASSED SB 408, sponsored by Senator Brian Strickland, would extend the sunset on the Family Care Act to July 1, 2023. The Family Care Act allows employees to use sick time to care for ill family members. 

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GHF has you covered

Stay up-to-date with the legislative session and COVID-19
 

GHF will be monitoring legislative activity on a number of critical consumer health care topics. Along with our weekly legislative updates and timely analysis of bills, we have the tools you need to stay in touch with health policy under the Gold Dome.

• Sign up for the Georgia Health ActionNetwork (GHAN) to receive action alerts that let you know when there are opportunities for advocacy and action
• Track health-related legislation
• GHF’s 2019-2020 legislative priorities

GHF is dedicated to helping you understand and navigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have the information you need to stay up-to-date with the latest developments.

• COVID-19 Policy priorities for a healthy Georgia — updated weekly
• Your health coverage, care, and well-being — updated weekly
• Mental health & addiction recovery in the time of COVID-19 — updated as new information becomes available
• NEW! Health insurance options for Georgians during COVID-19

Legislative Update: Week 10

The 2020 legislative session has resumed

Yesterday Georgia’s General Assembly resumed the 2020 legislative session after being suspended in March due to safety concerns over COVID-19. Legislators returned to the Capitol on Monday to pick up their work on the state budget and key pieces of legislation. The last ten days of legislative session will be dedicated primarily to the FY 2021 state budget to which Governor Kemp has proposed 11% cuts. Read the State Budget Cuts Are Not Inevitable section below to find out how you can take action for a state budget that supports the health and wellness of Georgians.

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Senate committee approves surprise billing legislation

Critical surprise billing legislation heads toward finish line

Earlier this year, companion bills (SB 359 and HB 888) were introduced in the House and Senate to ban surprise out-of-network medical billing (also called surprise billing) in emergency and non-emergency situations. In a rare Sunday meeting, HB 888 was approved by the Senate Health & Human Services Committee. The Senate Rules Committee acted quickly today and approved the bill for a vote on the Senate floor tomorrow, Wednesday, June 17th. Please call your state senator today and encourage their support for this important piece of legislation!

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New revenue can improve health in Georgia

State budget cuts are not inevitable

Because of the economic slow-down caused by COVID-19, Georgia’s revenues from sales taxes and other sources have dropped substantially. This has prompted the Governor to call for an 11% cut in state spending. Deep cuts to already-skeletal services and programs will disproportionately harm communities of color and rural communities, weaken Georgia’s health care system as it continues to respond to the pandemic, and curb the state’s ability to recover economically. GHF was one of 37 groups to send a letter to Governor Kemp and state lawmakers last week calling on them to raise new revenues rather than slash spending. New sources of revenue that can also improve health for Georgians include: 

• Raising Georgia’s tobacco tax — an increase of $1 per pack would bring in $400 million each year and reduce smoking rates in Georgia
• Expanding Medicaid— in addition to providing health coverage to 500,000 Georgians, Georgia would draw down $3 billion in federal funds each year
• Re-claiming the health insurance assessment—by collecting the revenue from this existing tax, Georgia could bring in $360 million each year to make health insurance more affordable for consumers and small businesses

Ask Governor Kemp and your state lawmakers today to avert budget cuts and improve health in Georgia by raising state revenue!  

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Georgia Can’t Wait!

Thank you for a successful Virtual Day of Action!

GHF and Cover Georgia welcomed legislators back on to work yesterday by urging them to take action to expand Medicaid. During yesterday’s virtual Day of Action, participants like you sent 500 messages to Governor Kemp and your legislators encouraging them to act immediately to protect the health and financial well-being of 560,000 Georgians by closing Georgia’s coverage gap! Thank you for your advocacy!

If you didn’t get a chance to contact your lawmakers yesterday, call or email today and ask them to act now to close Georgia’s coverage gap!

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GHF has you covered

Stay up-to-date with the legislative session and COVID-19

GHF will be monitoring legislative activity on a number of critical consumer health care topics. Along with our weekly legislative updates and timely analysis of bills, we have the tools you need to stay in touch with health policy under the Gold Dome.

• Sign up for the Georgia Health Action Network (GHAN) to receive action alerts that let you know when there are opportunities for advocacy and action
• Track health-related legislation
• GHF’s 2019-2020 legislative priorities

GHF is dedicated to helping you understand and navigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have the information you need to stay up-to-date with the latest developments.

• COVID-19 Policy priorities for a healthy Georgia — updated weekly
• Your health coverage, care, and well-being — updated weekl
• Mental health & addiction recovery in the time of COVID-19 — updated as new information becomes available
• NEW! Health insurance options for Georgians during COVID-19

Legislative Update: Week 8

General Assembly continues work on budgets ahead of Crossover Day

Last week the Senate passed their version of the FY2020 state budget (the “little budget”). This week the House and Senate will appoint a conference committee to work out the remaining differences in their versions of the little budget before it gets a final approval by both chambers. This morning the House Appropriations committee has passed its version of the FY2021 budget, which will begin July 1st of this year and run through June 30, 2021. The big budget will be considered by the full House chamber later this week.

Committee hearings will continue in earnest as legislators try to move their priority bills ahead of this week’s Crossover Day deadline. (Crossover Day is the 28th day of session and the deadline by which bills must pass the House or the Senate in order to remain viable to become law.) In next week’s legislative update, we will run down which health bills were left on the cutting room floor and which ones remain viable for this year.

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Bill introduced to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage

Legislation would allow moms to keep Medicaid coverage up to six months after giving birth

HB 1114, sponsored by Rep. Sharon Cooper, would allow new mothers to receive Medicaid coverage for six months after giving birth. Currently, pregnant women covered by Medicaid are covered only up to 60 days after their birth or miscarriage. Due to restrictive Medicaid eligibility requirements for Georgia parents and because Georgia has not expanded Medicaid to all low-income adults, many mothers who try to apply for Medicaid after the 60 days are ineligible and become uninsured. The bill has been referred to the House Health & Human Services committee and has the support of Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia, GHF, and other consumer health advocacy groups.

Learn more about this legislation and maternal health in Georgia in a new blog from the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute.

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Surprise billing and Gracie’s Law approved

Surprise billing protections are another step closer to passage

Companion bills were introduced in the House and Senate last month to ban surprise out-of-network medical billing (also called surprise billing) in emergency and non-emergency situations. Last week the House passed its version of this important consumer-focused legislation, HB 888. The Senate has already approved SB 359, which closely mirrors the House bill. The Senate bill is expected to be amended in the House Special Committee on Access to Quality Health Care so that it exactly matches the House version and better protects against surprise bills in emergency situations. Both bills are expected to be considered up by their respective committees after Crossover Day.

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Gracie’s Law moves on to Senate

Gracie’s Law (HB 842), sponsored by Rep. Rick Williams, would protect people with disabilities from being removed from organ donor waiting lists because of their disabilities. Gracie’s Law was approved by the House on February 28th and is now in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The bill is supported by The Arc of Georgia, the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, and other disability advocacy organizations.

(For more on this bill, please read our earlier legislative update.)

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Pharmacy benefit manager legislation keeps moving

Four bills to reform PBM practices in Georgia move forward ahead of Crossover Day

Georgia’s House and Senate continued their efforts last week to change how pharmacy benefit managers operate in Georgia. Pharmacy benefit managers (commonly called PBMs) are companies that manage prescription drug benefits for health insurance companies. 

HB 946 and HB 947, both sponsored by Rep. Matt Knight and HB 918, sponsored by Rep. Sharon Cooper, were passed by the House on Wednesday. HB 946 was referred to the Senate Insurance and Labor committee, and HB 918 and HB 947 were referred to the Senate Health and Human Services committee. Similarly, SB 313sponsored by Senator Dean Burke, was approved by the Senate on Thursday.

(For an overview of the bills, please read our March 2nd legislative update.)

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GHF has you covered

Stay up-to-date with the legislative session

GHF will be monitoring legislative activity on a number of critical consumer health care topics. Along with our weekly legislative updates and timely analysis of bills, we have the tools you need to stay in touch with health policy under the Gold Dome.

• Sign up for the Georgia Health ActionNetwork (GHAN) to receive action alerts that let you know when there are opportunities for advocacy and action
• Track health-related legislation
• GHF’s 2019-2020 legislative priorities

Legislative Update: Week 7

Legislative session passes halfway mark

Last week marked the halfway point of the 2020 Georgia legislative session. The General Assembly was busy with legislative hearings and committee votes last week, illustrated well by the flurry of activity in all of the health-related committees. We have your complete updates below.

The Senate is expected to pass their version of the amended FY2020 state budget this week and work continues in the House on the FY2021 budget. Committee hearings will continue in earnest this week ahead of next week’s Crossover Day deadline. (Crossover Day is the 28th day of session and the deadline by which bills must pass the House or the Senate in order to remain viable to become law.)

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Effort to modernize HIV laws moves forward

HB 719 passed by House Health & Human Services committee

HB 719, sponsored by Rep. Deborah Silcox, would modernize Georgia’s HIV-related laws and make progress towards decriminalizing HIV. Current Georgia law deems it a felony for people living with HIV to have sex or donate blood without disclosing their status, or for spitting at or using bodily fluids on a law enforcement officer by a person living with HIV. Under HB 719 only the act of having sex without disclosing a person’s HIV status would remain illegal and the punishment for that would be downgraded to a misdemeanor. This legislation has the backing of LGBTQ+ advocates and public health professionals. 

The House Health & Human Services committee approved HB 719 on Wednesday. The bill will now be considered by the House Rules committee. 

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Addressing childhood lead exposure

Resolution introduced to establish study committee on child lead poisoning

Last year, 2,333 Georgia children under six years of age were found to have lead poisoning, which is irreversible and can cause speech, language, and behavioral problems, lower IQ levels, and nervous system damage. To address this issue, Rep. Katie Dempsey has introduced HR 1280 to establish a Joint Study Committee on Childhood Lead Exposure. The resolution has been referred to the House Health & Human Services committee for its consideration.

For more information on this important public health issue, check out this helpful fact sheet from Voices for Georgia’s Children.  

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Pharmacy benefit managers in the spotlight

Georgia’s House and Senate committees have taken a keen interest in legislation to change how pharmacy benefit managers operate in Georgia. Pharmacy benefit managers (commonly called PBMs) are companies that manage prescription drug benefits for health insurance companies. in order to secure lower prices on medications, PBMs have adopted practices that are seen as to burdensome by pharmacies, restrictive and hard-to-navigate by consumers, and opaque by elected officials. Here are a few of the bills that are moving forward that would reform PBM practices in Georgia.

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HB 918: Restricts onerous PBM audits of pharmacies

PBMs may audit the practices of pharmacies as part of their responsibilities for a health insurer. However, these audits can strain independent and small pharmacies with fewer employees. HB 918, sponsored by Rep. Sharon Cooper, puts in place limits on the practices of PBMs within these audits so that pharmacies can more easily meet audit requests and the benefit of the doubt is given to pharmacies when small or innocuous mistakes are discovered.

The House Special Committee on Access to Quality Health Care approved HB 918 on Friday. The bill will now be considered by the House Rules committee.

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HB 946: Increases accountability for PBMs

HB 946, sponsored by Rep. Matt Knight, would increase fines on PBMs when they “steer” consumers to specific pharmacies and would prohibit PBMs from paying affiliated pharmacies more than independent ones. The bill would require PBMs to pass along rebates to insurers (who would presumably pass those savings on to consumers) and would ban programs called “co-pay accumulators.” Co-pay accumulators increase out-of-pocket costs for consumers who need prescription drugs, especially those with expensive medications and those with high deductibles and other cost-sharing.

The House Special Committee on Access to Quality Health Care approved HB 946 on Friday. The bill will now be considered by the Hosue Rules committee.

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HB 947: Examining the costs of PBMs in Medicaid

HB 947, also sponsored by Rep. Matt Knight, would require Georgia’s Department of Community Health to complete an independent study to find out if Georgia would save money by removing the current PBM structure from its Medicaid plans. If the estimated savings are more than $20 million annually, Georgia would eliminate PBMs from most of the state’s Medicaid plans.

The House Special Committee on Access to Quality Health Care approved HB 946 on Friday. The bill will now be considered by the Hosue Rules committee.

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SB 313: Benchmarking for prescription drug prices

SB 313, sponsored by Senator Dean Burke, is expected to receive a vote today in the Senate Insurance & Labor committee.

This bill is consistent with HB 946 in many ways, although not an exact match. SB 313 requires that PBMs use the “national average drug acquisition cost,” as a reference point for reimbursing pharmacies for prescriptions. The bill also includes many of the same patient protections as those in HB 946. 

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GHF has you covered

Stay up-to-date with the legislative session

GHF will be monitoring legislative activity on a number of critical consumer health care topics. Along with our weekly legislative updates and timely analysis of bills, we have the tools you need to stay in touch with health policy under the Gold Dome.

• Sign up for the Georgia Health ActionNetwork (GHAN) to receive action alerts that let you know when there are opportunities for advocacy and action
• Track health-related legislation
• GHF’s 2019-2020 legislative priorities

Legislative Update: Week 5

Legislative session resumes this week

After a brief pause last week due to budget disagreements the Georgia legislature will resume its normal schedule today, February 18th. Today is day 13 (out of 40) of this year’s legislative session. According to the legislature’s new calendar, Crossover Day (the day by which a bill has to be approved by at least one chamber in order to remain “alive” for this year) is scheduled for March 12th.

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Surprise billing legislation set for committee vote

Senate and House action expected on surprise billing legislation this week

Last month, companion pieces of legislation were introduced in the House and Senate to ban surprise out-of-network medical billing (also called surprise billing) in emergency and non-emergency situations. SB 359 and HB 888, sponsored by Senator Hufstetler and Representative Hawkins respectively, both contain strong consumer protections and set a resolution process that allows insurers and health care providers to settle payment disputes while keeping consumers out of the middle.
 

The Senate Health and Human Services committee heard testimony from insurers, advocates, and medical providers at a hearing on SB 359 last Tuesday. GHF’s Executive Director testified on the bill saying, “the consumer protections in this bill are fair and reasonable. For these reasons, we support (SB 359) and hope to see its successful passage by both chambers during this session.”

HB 888 is scheduled to be heard in the House Special Committee on Access to Quality Health Care today at 2pm.

Call one or more of these committee leaders to ask for their support of SB 359 and HB 888: 

• Sen. Ben Watson, Chairman of Senate HHS committee,
  404-656-7880
• Sen. Dean Burke, Vice Chairman of Senate HHS committee, 404-656-0040
• Rep. Mark Newton, Chairman of the House Special Committee, 404-656-0254
• Rep. Sharon Cooper, Vice Chairman of the House Special Committee, 404-656-5069

If your state Senator or Representative is on either committee, please call them as well!

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Prescription drug legislation heard by senate committee

SB 313: Pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen for prescription drugs

SB 313, sponsored by Senator Dean Burke, had its second hearing in the Senate Insurance and Labor committee last Wednesday. This bill would update Georgia’s oversight of pharmacy benefit managers and add important consumer protections. Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are companies that manage prescription drug benefits for health insurance companies and in that role are charged with negotiating lower costs for the company and consumers.

At Wednesday’s hearing, patients, doctors, pharmacists and representatives of pharmacy benefit managers offered detailed testimony on the bill. No further action was taken on the bill last week and it is unclear if the Senate Insurance committee will consider it again this week. GHF will continue to report on the bill through the legislative session. (We provided an overview of the bill in an earlier legislative update.)

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Rural transit bill could bring changes to Medicaid transportation

Revisions to transit bill attract support from more stakeholders

Adequate transportation is important to the health of Georgians because in most cases people need to go to a location outside of their homes to receive health care. Without access to reliable, safe transportation, Georgians may be forced to skip health appointments and go without medication, or they may not be able to access other things (like healthy foods or good schools and jobs) that would help them stay healthy.

HB 511, sponsored by Representative Kevin Tanner, would create a new division within the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) that would, among other things, oversee rural transit programs including Medicaid’s non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) services. The bill would divide the state (except for 13 metro-Atlanta counties) into eight regions in which counties could collaborate to raise revenue for and coordinate rural transit services. The purpose of the proposed “mobility zones” is to eliminate restrictions on crossing county lines for health appointments and other services for seniors, low-income families, and other needy Georgians, and extend transportation services to those who do not have access to local transportation options.

Advocates for Georgia seniors supported earlier versions of the bill and recent revisions to the bill have earned the support of GDOT and Uber. HB 511 has not been scheduled for a hearing but GHF will report on the legislation as the session progresses.

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GHF has you covered

Stay up-to-date with the legislative session
 

GHF will be monitoring legislative activity on a number of critical consumer health care topics. Along with our weekly legislative updates and timely analysis of bills, we have the tools you need to stay in touch with health policy under the Gold Dome.

• Sign up for the Georgia Health ActionNetwork (GHAN) to receive action alerts that let you know when there are opportunities for advocacy and action
• Track health-related legislation
• GHF’s 2019-2020 legislative priorities

Legislative Update: Week 4

Legislative session paused amid budget disagreements

The Georgia legislature voted to pause the official legislative calendar last week due to the difficult and sometimes contentious discussions over the state budget. Governor Kemp’s proposed budget cuts for the current and subsequent state budgets have left the legislature to the difficult tasks of finding savings where possible, making cuts to some services and programs, and debating how to bring in sufficient revenue. Speaker of the House David Ralston has instructed the House to hold only budget-related hearings this week. 

The legislature plans to officially reconvene next Tuesday, February 18th for day 13 of this year’s legislative session. According to the legislature’s new calendar, Crossover Day (the day by which a bill has to be approved by at least one chamber in order to remain “alive” for this year) is scheduled for March 12th.

Strong surprise billing legislation introduced

Surprise billing legislation would protect consumers in emergency & non-emergency situations

Last week companion legislation were introduced in the House and Senate to ban surprise out-of-network medical billing (also called surprise billing) in emergency and non-emergency situations. SB 359 and HB 888, sponsored by Senator Hufstetler and Representative Hawkins respectively, both contain strong consumer protections and set a fair payment resolution process that takes consumers out of fights between insurers and health care providers. If passed, these bills would protect 2.6 million Georgians from surprise medical bills.

SB 359 has been read and reffered to the Senate Health and Human Services committee. HB 888 is in House first readers and in the House Special Committee on Access to Quality Health Care.

Call one or more of these committee leaders to ask for their support of SB 359 and HB 888: 

• Sen. Ben Watson, Chairman of Senate HHS committee,
  404-656-7880
• Sen. Dean Burke, Vice Chairman of Senate HHS committee, 404-656-0040
• Rep. Mark Newton, Chairman of the House Special Committee, 404-656-0254
• Rep. Sharon Cooper, Vice Chairman of the House Special Committee, 404-656-5069

If your state Senator or Representative is on either committee, please call them as well!

House examines mental health and organ transplant issues

Involuntary commitment emerges as theme in mental health legisation

Two pieces of mental health legislation garnered attention from mental health advocates and legislators last week.

HB 544, sponsored by Rep. Chuck Efstration, would make changes to how people in mental health or SUD crises can be committed to emergency involuntary treatment. This legislation could have negative consequences for people with substance use disorders who could be involuntarily committed to treatment under certain circumstances. This bill sits in the House Judiciary committee but the discussions of this issue may instead be moved to a subcommittee of the Behavioral Health Innovation and Reform Commission.

HB 760, sponsored by Rep. Sharon Cooper, would give peace officers the authority to take a person to a physician or emergency department for emergency examination under certain circumstances. This legislation is not supported by mental health advocacy groups because it could lead to involuntary committal for people with mental health issues. The bill now sits in the House Public Safety and Homeland Security committee.

Gracie’s Law would protect organ transplant discrimination for Georgians with disabilities

Rep. Rick Williams has introduced HB 842, titled “Gracie’s Law.” According to the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD), Gracie’s Law would protect patients with disabilities from being removed from the organ donor waiting list because of their disability. According to an article in GCDD’s Making a Difference magazine, “While the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) denies discrimination based on any disability, there is still a lack of federal enforcement,” prompting the need for state action on this issue. This bill has been referred to the House Insurance committee. You can read more about Gracie’s Law here (pg. 12-13).

Thank you!

Health care heroes like you submitted 1,710 comments!

Before the legislative session began, Governor Kemp filed paperwork with health officials in the federal government to move forward with plans to change Medicaid and private insurance in Georgia. When health officials needed your input on the Medicaid plan, more than 1700 Georgians like you stepped up! 
 

We are incredibly grateful for your advocacy on behalf of Georgians and communities who would benefit from Medicaid expansion in Georgia. Thank you for speaking up for your friends, neighbors, and all Georgians! Now your comments become part of a powerful legal record that health officials must take into acocunt as they decide whether or not to approve Governor Kemp’s Medicaid plan.

Stay tuned! Health officials are still reviewing Governor Kemp’s planned changes for private insurance. When the time comes, we will ask you to speak up again by submitting a comment again! Here and at coverga.org, we will let you know what those changes mean for you and your loved ones and when you can comment.

GHF has you covered

Stay up-to-date with the legislative session
 

GHF will be monitoring legislative activity on a number of critical consumer health care topics. Along with our weekly legislative updates and timely analysis of bills, we have the tools you need to stay in touch with health policy under the Gold Dome.

• Sign up for the Georgia Health ActionNetwork (GHAN) to receive action alerts that let you know when there are opportunities for advocacy and action
• Track health-related legislation
• GHF’s 2019-2020 legislative priorities

Legislative update: Week 3

Georgia House continues budget considerations 

Last week the Georgia House of Representatives resumed its budget hearings in earnest. The House Appropriations subcommittee on Health met on Tuesday to hear more from state agency leaders about their amended FY2020 budget requests. The FY2020 budget runs through June 30, 2020, and is sometimes called the “little budget”. 

It was clear during last week’s hearings that the House may not simply agree to the budget cuts requested by Governor Kemp. Many Appropriations committee members expressed concerns about how the agencies’ proposed cuts would impact access to health care in rural Georgia, the availability of mental health and substance use services, and other critical health services and supports.

Both chambers will reconvene today, February 3rd, for the tenth day of the legislative session. Before scrolling to the latest news on emerging bills and other happenings under the Gold Dome, don’t forget to tell officials what you think of Governor Kemp’s Medicaid plan. The comment deadline is this Friday.

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Less than a week to go!

The comment period ends on Friday! Take action now!

Before the legislative session began, Governor Kemp filed paperwork with health officials in the federal government to move forward with their plans to change Medicaid and private insurance in Georgia. Now those health officials need your input, beginning with the Medicaid plan! 

Governor Kemp’s Medicaid plan will leave thousands of low-income Georgians with no meaningful way to get health insurance. Instead of expanding Medicaid to cover 490,000 Georgians, this plan would cover only 50,000 people and cost three times more per person.

We need you to step up AGAIN and become a health care hero by telling national officials what you think of the Medicaid plan! The deadline for comment is Friday, February 7th. Visit coverGA.org to comment today!

Did you submit a comment in November? Please submit a comment again so federal officials can hear directly from you.

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Senate starts with prescription drugs & price transparency

SB 313: Updating how Georgia regulates pharmacy benefit managers

Senator Dean Burke has introduced SB 313, a law that would update Georgia’s oversight of pharmacy benefit managers and add important consumer protections. Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are companies that manage prescription drug benefits on behalf of health insurers, and are a new favorite focus of policy makers who want to address rising health care costs. 

SB 313 requires PBMs to charge health insurers the same price for a drug as it receives from the drug manufacturer and that PBMs pass all rebates from the manufacturer to the health plan. (Ideally, these savings are then passed along to consumers.) The bill also disallows PBMS from building drug formularies (lists of covered medicines) in a way that discriminates against people with prescription drug needs. The bill also strengthens the Insurance Commissioner’s ability to hold PBMs accountable to state laws and regulations.

This bill is complex and GHF will continue to report on it through the legislative session. The bill has been referred to the Senate Insurance Committee.

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SB 303: Georgia Right to Shop Act

SB 303 would require that health insurers to put on their website an interactive feature that allows consumers to estimate their out of pocket costs for a particular health care service and compare quality metrics between providers, among other things. Insurers would also have to provide a phone number that consumers can call to get the same information. The legislation is sponsored by Senator Ben Watson, Chairman of the Senate Health & Human Services committee. It has been referred to the Senate Insurance Committee and is expected to be heard this week. 

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Focus on nicotine & tobacco continues

Legislation would tax vaping products

Representative Bonnie Rich introduced HB 864 last week, which would add a 7% excise tax to vaping products and would require businesses that sell vaping products to register with the state for a $250 fee. This bill is one of at least three pieces of legislation that would change how Georgia taxes and regulates tobacco or other nicotine products. HB 731, sponsored by Rep. Ron Stephens, would raise Georgia’s tobacco tax to $1.87 from its current level of $0.37. SB 298, sponsored by Sen. Renee Unterman, would increase the age that Georgians are allowed to purchase tobacco products to 21 years of age, among other things.

Both House Bills have been referred to the House Ways & Means committee and SB 298 has been referred to the Senate Regulated Industries committee.

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GHF has you covered

Stay up-to-date with the legislative session
 

GHF will be monitoring legislative activity on a number of critical consumer health care topics. Along with our weekly legislative updates and timely analysis of bills, we have the tools you need to stay in touch with health policy under the Gold Dome.

• Sign up for the Georgia Health ActionNetwork (GHAN) to receive action alerts that let you know when there are opportunities for advocacy and action
• Track health-related legislation
• GHF’s 2019-2020 legislative priorities

Legislative Update: Week 1

The 2020 legislative session has begun

Last week, the Georgia General Assembly convened for the first time in 2020. The first four days of the 2020 legislative session were mostly taken up with committee appointments, Governor Kemp’s second State of the State address, and other annual traditions including GHF’s own Health Care Unscrambled. 

This week will be dedicated primarily to budget hearings for the current (FY 2020 Amended) and next year’s (FY 2021) state budgets. The General Assembly will reconvene next Monday, January 27th for the fifth day of legislative session. 

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Efforts to address surprise billing gain early momentum

The issue of surprise out-of-network medical billing (sometimes called “surprise billing” or “balance billing”) is already getting a lot of attention early in the 2020 session. At Health Care Unscrambled, Senate Health & Human Services Chairman Ben Watson said, “If we do not pass balanced billing or surprised billing this year, I don’t think it will be a successful session.” Governor Kemp added his support during his State of the State address, saying “Working with patients, providers, and the private sector, we’ll craft a legislative remedy to reduce surprise medical billing. We will demand transparency, embrace empathy, and insist on fairness.” 

GHF and our partners at Georgia Watch have long advocated for a legislative solution that protects Georgia consumers from payment battles between insurers and providers. We are grateful for the support of Governor Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Duncan, and legislative leaders on this important issue. We look forward to working with all parties to ensure that Georgia consumers are no longer stuck with surprise bills when they go to the doctor.

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Governor outlines priorities in annual address

Governor Kemp submits his budget recommendations

On Thursday, Governor Kemp addressed the General Assembly in his second annual State of the State address and, per tradition, used the opportunity to introduce his proposed budget. Governor Kemp also laid out his priorities for his second year in office, including education, foster care, and public safety.

The amended budget (an update to the current state budget) includes a 4% cut to cut state spending through the end of the state fiscal year (June 30, 2020).

The Governor’s recommended FY 2021 budget, which will begin on July 1, 2020, includes a 6% cut to state spending. Despite the cut, a $89.6 million increase in the Medicaid budget is proposed to address growing enrollment. The House will now take up and consider the two budgets before passing them to the Senate later in the session.

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Action Alert!

Act now, submit your comment today!

Before the legislative session began, Gov. Kemp filed paperwork with health officials in the federal government to move forward with their plans to change Medicaid and private insurance in Georgia. Now those health officials must ask for your input, beginning with the Medicaid plan! 
 

Gov. Kemp’s Medicaid plan will leave thousands of low-income Georgians with no meaningful pathway to coverage. We need you to step up AGAIN and become a health care hero by telling health officials what you think of the Medicaid plan! The deadline for comment is Friday, February 7th. Visit CoverGA.org to comment today! 

Did you submit a comment in November? Please submit a comment again so federal officials can hear directly from you.

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Early legislation introduced

Legislation to restrict vaping

SB 298 would raise the minimum age to purchase vaping products from the current age of 18 to 21. It would also set tougher penalties for selling tobacco, nicotine and vaping products to minors and would require schools to include information about the harms of vaping and smoking in their health education curricula. The legislation is sponsored by Senator Renee Unterman. Similar legislation is expected to be introduced in the House in the coming weeks. The bill has been referred to the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee.

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The legislative calendar begins to take shape

The General Assembly set its calendar for the first fourteen days of the 2020 legislative session in HR 879. After this week’s budget hearings, the session will pick up again according to the following schedule:

January 27: Day 5

January 28: Day 6

January 29: Day 7

February 30: Day 8

February 31: Day 9

February 3: Day 10

February 4: Day 11

February 5: Day 12

February 6: Day 13

February 10: Day 14

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GHF has you covered

Stay up-to-date with the legislative session
 

GHF will be monitoring legislative activity on a number of critical consumer health care topics. Along with our weekly legislative updates and timely analysis of bills, we have the tools you need to stay in touch with health policy under the Gold Dome.

• Sign up for the Georgia Health ActionNetwork (GHAN) to receive action alerts that let you know when there are opportunities for advocacy and action
• Track health-related legislation
• GHF’s 2019-2020 legislative priorities

The 2019 Georgia legislative session is over but we are not finished! 

Yesterday was Sine Die at the Georgia General Assembly – the last day of the 2019 legislative session. This year’s session saw the approval of several bills that will surely impact consumers’ health and finances in positive ways if approved by the Governor. Efforts to address step therapy so patients have access to needed therapies and housing so that families can be assured of safe, healthy places to live have been multi-year efforts by consumer and family advocates. These bills now move to the Governor’s desk for his consideration and signature.

The impact of other bills is less certain. SB 106 may bring sweeping changes to Georgia’s health care landscape but the details have yet to be laid out. The passage of legislation is only the first step in a health reform process in which your voice and advocacy will be needed. (Learn more about the next steps and what to expect in our latest blog post and in the section below.)

Check out our summary of the more notable health bills of the 2019 session below and a full list of health care-related legislation at GHF’s legislative tracker.

Our priorities

Governor Kemp signs Patients First Act into law but its impacts on Georgians still uncertain

SB 106, the Patients First Act, moved quickly through the Georgia General Assembly this session and was signed into law by Governor Kemp last week. As we have reported, the bill allows the state to pursue an 1115 waiver to make changes to Georgia’s Medicaid program that may include expanding coverage to more poor adults and a 1332 state innovation waiver to make changes to private insurance in the state.

Now that the bill is signed, what’s next? You are critical to ensuring that the waivers created from SB 106 lead Georgia to the healthy future that we all want. Your advocacy, stories, and input are necessary. Read our new blog so you know what to expect and how you can help ensure all Georgians have meaningful, affordable health coverage.

 

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Step therapy legislation approved

HB 63, sponsored by Rep. Sharon Cooper, will require health insurance plans to establish step therapy protocols and outline a process for health care providers to request exceptions. Step therapy is a requirement by some insurers that patients try a series of lower-cost treatments before the insurer will cover the higher-cost treatment prescribed by a patient’s physician. The bill received final approval by the House on Tuesday

Call Governor Kemp at 404-656-1776 and ask that he sign HB 63.

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Surprise billing legislation fails to cross the finish line

Surprise billing legislation faced familiar roadblocks this year when provider groups and insurers could not come to agreement about payments for out-of-network care. There were late efforts to revive some or all of HB 84 and SB 56 but neither succeeded. (Both bills are covered in detail in our Februrary 11th legislative update.) We are grateful to Chairman Richard Smith and Chairman Hufstetler for their work on this important issue and hope to find a resolution for consumers in the next legislative session.

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Healthy housing legislation passes

GHF, as part of the Healthy Housing Georgia coalition, supported HB 346. This bill will prohibit retaliation by a landlord against a tenant for complaining to Code Enforcement about unsafe or unhealthy housing conditions like the presence of mold, radon, rodents, insect infestations, or lead. If the Governor signs the bill into law, Georgia will join the ranks of forty-one other states that have already implemented similar legislation to protect tenants against retaliatory evictions. (For more details on the legislation, see our March 5th legislative update.)

Call Governor Kemp at 404-656-1776 and ask that he sign HB 346.

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Sine Die Recap

HB 30: Amended FY 2019 Budget | SIGNED BY GOVERNOR

HB 30 makes adjustments to the state budget for the current fiscal year which runs through June 30, 2019. The “little budget” has passed both chambers of the General Assembly and been signed by the Governor. The amended budget went into effect on Tuesday, March 12th.

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HB 31: FY 2020 Budget | PASSED

HB 31 is the budget document for the coming state fiscal year which will run from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020. The budget includes several new investments in behavioral health and mostly maintains funding for other health care programs and priorities. For more information on the health care highlights in the proposed FY 2020 budget, read the Community Health and Behavioral Health budget overviews from the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute.

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HB 37: Expand Medicaid Now Act | DID NOT PASS

HB 37, sponsored by Rep. Bob Trammell, expands Medicaid in Georgia as envisioned by the Affordable Care Act by increasing Medicaid eligibility for adults up to 138% of the federal poverty guidelines (FPL). This is equivalent to $17,236 annually for an individual and $29,435 for a family of three.

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HB 158: Improve Medicaid patient access to effective HIV treatment | DID NOT PASS*

HB 158, sponsored by Rep. Deborah Silcox, requires that Medicaid recipients have the same access to antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV and AIDS as to those included in the formulary established for the Georgia AIDS Drug Assistance Program. This change would allow for increased continuity of care for people living with HIV/AIDS in Georgia. *Although HB 158 did not get a Senate vote, it received favorable comments in the Senate Health Committee, after passing the House unanimously. In recognition of the broad support of this effort, Georgia’s Medicaid agency has committed to the bill sponsor to implement the intent of the legislation.

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HB 217: Needle exchange | PASSED

HB 217, sponsored by Rep. Houston Gaines, decriminalizes the act of working or volunteering for a syringe services program, a step towards legalizing the programs. Distributing clean hypodermic syringes and needles to people who use injection drugs (e.g. heroin) helps to prevent the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C, and does not increase the likelihood that people will newly take up injections drug use.

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HB 290: PrEP pilot program | PASSED

HB 290, sponsored by Rep. Sharon Cooper, would establish a pilot program to provide preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drug assistance or services to persons at risk of being infected with HIV. PrEP is a medication taken by people who are HIV-negative to reduce their risk for infection. The pilot program would provide PrEP to people in counties identified by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention as at risk of HIV outbreaks due to a high rate of opioid use and participants would receive regular HIV testing and related support services.

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HB 83: Recess legislation | PASSED

HB 83, sponsored by Representative Demetrius Douglas, would require a daily 30-minute recess for all students in grades K-5 unless they have already had a physical education class or structured activity time in the day. This bill now sits in the Senate Rules committee and awaits a vote on the Senate floor. To learn more about the impact of recess on children’s physical and mental health, read this fact sheet from Voices for Georgia’s Children.

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HB 321: Medicaid financing program | PASSED

HB 321, sponsored by Rep. Jodi Lott, would extend the sunset provision of the hospital provider fee for five years. The hospital payment program, which draws down additional federal funding, provides almost $1 billion annually to the state’s Medicaid budget. More information about HB 321 is available here.

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HB 514: Georgia Mental Health Reform and Innovation Commission | PASSED

HB 514, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Tanner, would create the Georgia Mental Health Reform and Innovation Commission which would work to analyze and offer improvements to the state’s mental health system and run through at least June 30, 2020. Within the Commission, several subcommittees would be established to include Children and Adolescent Mental Health; Involuntary Commitment; Hospital and Short-Term Care Facilities; Mental Health Courts and Corrections; and Workforce and System Development.

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SB 16: Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Act | PASSED

SB 16, sponsored by Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, would allow Georgia to enter the “Interstate Medical Licensure Compact” which allows health care providers to more easily obtain licenses to practice in multiple states. It also provides Georgia’s Medical Board with easier access to investigative and disciplinary information about providers from other states, an important protective measure for Georgia patients.

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HB 233: Pharmacy Anti-Steering and Transparency Act | PASSED

HB 233, sponsored by Rep. David Knight, would prohibit pharmacies from sharing patient data for commercial purposes and prohibit pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from steering patients to PBM-owned pharmacies. It also requires such pharmacies to file an annual disclosure statement of its affiliates. Pharmacy benefit managers are companies that manage the prescription drug benefit of your health plan.

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SB 195: Prescription Drug Benefits Freedom of Information and Consumer Protection Act | DID NOT PASS

SB 195, sponsored by Senator Chuck Hufstetler, this bill would make it easier for consumers to know what prescription medications are covered by their health insurance plan and better understand the likely costs by requiring health insurers to conspicuously post on their website information about their drug formulary in a current and searchable format. A drug formulary is the list of prescription medicines that your health insurer agrees to pay for or partially pay for. SB 195 would also standardize and speed up the process for consumers and providers to request prior authorization for necessary prescription drugs.

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HB 186: Certificate of Need Reform | PASSED

HB 186, sponsored by Rep. Ron Stephens, will create a new category for general cancer hospitals as part of an agreement with Cancer Treatment Centers of America that would allow more Georgia patients to be seen. This bill will also limit who can object to a provider’s Certificate of Need application for expanding hospital services. The change would limit objections to only come from health care facilities that provide similar services and are located within a thirty-five mile radius.

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HB 197: Establishment of Strategic Integrated Data System | PASSED

HB 197, sponsored by Rep. Katie Dempsey, will establish the Strategic Integrated Data System through the Office of Planning and Budget. The data system would capture de-identified information about the physical and mental health and social services beign provided to Georgians across the state. The goal of the system is to provide a central source of date about state services that can be used by state agencies, lawmakers, and researchers to make programs more effective and cost-efficient.

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HB 323: Regulation and licensure of pharmacy benefits managers | PASSED

HB 323, sponsored by Rep. David Knight, will provide a good first step in drug transparency from pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs.) PBMs will have to report how much they receive in rebates from pharmaceutical manufacturers to the Department of Insurance and how much of those savings are being passed on to customers, although the information are not required to be reported to the legislature or the public.

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GHF has you covered

Stay up-to-date with the legislative session

GHF has been monitoring legislative activity on a number of critical consumer health care topics. Along with our weekly legislative updates and timely analysis of bills, we have the tools you need to stay in touch with health policy under the Gold Dome.

• Sign up for the Georgia Health Action Network (GHAN) to receive action alerts that let you know when there are opportunities for advocacy and action
• Track health-related legislation
• Updated for 2019: GHF’s annual Consumer Health Advocate’s Guide. (Contact Michelle Conde at mconde@healthyfuturega.org for a printed copy.)