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Committee advances several health bills, including Medigap parity for ESRD/ALS and PA home-health signing
Summary
A House committee advanced multiple health bills in one session, including measures to let under-65 ESRD and ALS Medicare beneficiaries buy Medigap at standard age-65 rates and to allow physician assistants to sign home-health orders.
A House committee advanced multiple health-related measures during a single session, taking recorded action on several bills after testimony and debate.
Key outcomes:
- House Bill 323 (LC 46 10 64): Committee announced a do-pass recommendation for the bill that would allow Medicare-eligible Georgians with end-stage renal disease or ALS who are under 65 to buy Medicare supplement (Medigap) plans at the same premium rates charged to people 65 and older. The measure had extensive testimony from patients, national advocacy groups and insurers.
- House Bill 54 (substitute, LC 52 0 7 7 3 S): The committee approved a substitute that allows physician assistants to sign home-health service orders under supervising-physician protocols. Supporters said the change aligns state law with federal CARES Act authorization and could expand access, especially in rural areas. The committee recorded the legislative code and approved the substitute.
- Substitute to House Bill 298 (LC 461145S): The committee approved a substitute establishing a formal nurse staffing plan and creating local and statewide nurse-staffing advisory committees, with amendments changing membership language and raising a direct-care percentage threshold in committee language. The Georgia Nurses Association testified in favor of the substitute.
- House Bill 87 (LC 4061090): The committee approved a bill updating definitions and coverage standards for prosthetic and orthotic services, including changes intended to align medical-necessity standards with national norms and to add fiscal safeguards; the bill was advanced after the committee reviewed technical edits and a pending fiscal note.
- House Bill 428 (LC 46 1 0 90): A bill to codify certain protections and coverage related to in vitro fertilization (IVF) practices and insurance language was heard along with personal testimony; the committee voted to advance the measure (the transcript records a do-pass and legislative code LC 46 1 0 90).
For each motion, the committee recorded a do-pass or substitute approval and a legislative tracking code on the record. The meeting transcript did not include detailed roll-call tallies for each vote; motions were made and seconded on the record and the chair announced approval.
