| HB 0167 |
Support | COVID-19 Liability Protections
|
Darlene Taylor |
|---|
|
6/23/2020 |
Senate - Senate Transmitted House |
Insurance |
Insurance and Labor |
- |
|
|
| This legislation, titled the "Georgia Pandemic Business Protection Act", seeks to provide liability protection from COVID-19 related lawsuits. County government employees and county government facilities are included in the definition as being afforded liability protection.
No cause of action (lawsuit) shall exist for the transmission or contraction of COVID-19 unless an entity or person performed willful and wanton misconduct or intentional infliction of harm. |
| SB 0118 |
Support | Modernize Telemedicine Act -Require Insurers to Cover Telemedicine Services |
Renee Unterman |
|---|
|
1/1/2020 |
Effective Date |
Insurance |
Science and Technology |
- |
|
|
| Senate Bill 118 modernizes the 'Georgia Telemedicine Act' by renaming it to the 'Georgia Telehealth Act'. The bill requires that each insurer that issues a health benefit policy provides coverage for the cost of healthcare services provided through telehealth or telemedicine services. The bill requires that insurers not exclude a service for coverage solely because the service is provided through telemedicine services and is not provided through in-person consultation or contact between a provider and a patient for services appropriately provided through telemedicine services. A health care provider or telemedicine company is not required to accept more reimbursement than they are willing to charge and payment for telemedicine interactions will include reasonable compensation to the originating or distant site for the transmission cost incurred during the delivery of healthcare services. Senate Bill 118 also requires insurers to reimburse the provider for the diagnosis, consultation, or treatment of the insured delivered through telemedicine services on the same basis and at least at the rate that the insurer is responsible for coverage for the provision of the same service through inperson consultation or contact. |
| SB 0188 |
Watch | Reinsurance of Risks; adequate regulation of reinsurers; incorporation of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners reinsurance model into the Georgia Insurance Code; provide |
Larry Walker |
|---|
|
7/1/2020 |
Effective Date |
Insurance |
Insurance and Labor |
- |
|
|
| |
| SB 0374 |
Neutral | Offers to Settle Civil Claims |
John Kennedy |
|---|
|
3/4/2020 |
House Second Readers |
Insurance |
Insurance and Labor |
- |
|
|
| This bill would expand the list of information to be included in settlement offers in civil lawsuits, and would broaden the statute's applicability to all civil claims rather than only motor-vehicle claims. The bill would also extend the time for accepting such offer to 40 days rather than the current 10 days. |
| SB 0377 |
Neutral | Private 3rd Party Plan Review and Inspections |
Burt Jones |
|---|
|
6/30/2020 |
Effective Date |
Insurance |
Insurance and Labor |
- |
|
|
| Last year, HB 493 was signed into law and expanded options for private third parties to perform building plan review and inspections; however, it exempted this review process for hospitals, nursing homes, jails, airports, high rises and buildings that impact national and homeland security. SB 377 removes these exemptions, allowing third parties to now perform plan reviews and inspections on the above structures. |
