Bill > HB658

This bill proposes a set of consumer protections for health insurance policies in Georgia that would only take effect if the Affordable Care Act (ACA or "Obamacare") is repealed. The bill defines key terms like "essential health benefits" and "preventive services" and mandates that health insurance plans cannot: impose pre-existing condition exclusions, deny coverage or charge higher premiums based on pre-existing conditions, exclude preventive services, impose annual or lifetime limits on essential health benefits, or deny dependent child coverage up to age 26. The bill specifically requires insurers to provide preventive services at no additional cost to the insured and create a 30-day special enrollment period when a dependent child turns 26. Importantly, the bill stipulates that these protections would only become active upon the complete repeal of the federal ACA, essentially creating a "backup" set of health insurance regulations that mirror many of the ACA's key consumer protections. The definitions and standards for these protections would be based on the ACA as it existed immediately prior to being repealed, ensuring continuity in health insurance regulations.

Business and Industry

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70937