A bill that require insurance providers in Georgia to make at least one reasonably priced health insurance policy available without limitation based on preexisting conditions in the event that certain provisions of federal law are repealed or invalidated has the support of the Georgia Attorney General.
House Bill 509 was filed two weeks ago and was voted on by the House chamber on Friday. Specifically, the bill would mandate that insurers “make at least one reasonably priced comprehensive major medical health insurance policy available to residents in this state without limitation or exclusion based on preexisting conditions.” The statute, if passed, would trigger if certain provisions in the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are repealed or invalidated by the U.S. Supreme Court
Attorney General Chris Carr said last week that HB 509 ‘aims to preserve protections of preexisting medical conditions for Georgians and ensure they are provided healthcare opportunities without limitation or exclusion.’
“As Attorney General, I am committed to working for a world-class healthcare system that Georgians and our nation truly deserve, while ensuring that our nation’s laws pass constitutional muster. The terribly-flawed Affordable Care Act has twice been deemed unconstitutional by federal judges, and I expect the U.S. Supreme Court to agree. But one area that Americans can agree upon is that those with preexisting conditions must be protected. HB 509 does just that, and I commend Representatives Gaines, Kelley, Cooper, Wiedower, Lumsden and Newton for sponsoring the bill.”
The Republican bill is sponsored by Representatives Houston Gaines, Trey Kelley, Sharon Cooper, Marcus Wiedower, Eddie Lumsden, and Mark Newton, who identifies as a doctor.
HB 509, if passed, would do the following:
- prohibit insurers from excluding, limiting, denying, or delaying coverage due to one or more preexisting medical conditions; and
- require that the insurers offer a ‘reasonably priced policy’ that was also actively marketed in Georgia during the year immediately preceding the operative date (which is defined as 30 days after the repeal or invalidation of the federal acts). Essentially, any insurer that offered a plan under the Affordable Care Act in Georgia would have to offer at least one of those plans after its repeal or invalidation in order to continue to operate in Georgia.
You can read the bill in its entirety here.
The House vote, which approved the measure 121-11, is below.
