| 1 | 1 | | 23 LC 33 9240 |
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| 2 | 2 | | H. B. 140 |
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| 3 | 3 | | - 1 - |
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| 4 | 4 | | House Bill 140 |
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| 5 | 5 | | By: Representatives Hawkins of the 27 |
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| 6 | 6 | | th |
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| 7 | 7 | | , Newton of the 127 |
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| 8 | 8 | | th |
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| 9 | 9 | | , Cooper of the 45 |
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| 10 | 10 | | th |
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| 11 | 11 | | , Bennett |
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| 12 | 12 | | of the 94 |
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| 13 | 13 | | th |
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| 14 | 14 | | , and Dempsey of the 13 |
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| 15 | 15 | | th |
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| 16 | 16 | | |
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| 17 | 17 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 18 | 18 | | AN ACT |
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| 19 | 19 | | To amend Part 1 of Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia |
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| 20 | 20 | | 1 |
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| 21 | 21 | | Annotated, relating to the state employees' health insurance plan, so as to provide for a2 |
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| 22 | 22 | | three-year pilot program to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric3 |
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| 23 | 23 | | autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infection (PANDAS)4 |
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| 24 | 24 | | and pediatric acute onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) under the state health benefit5 |
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| 25 | 25 | | plan; to provide for agreements; to provide for an annual report; to provide for related6 |
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| 26 | 26 | | matters; to provide for automatic repeal; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.7 |
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| 27 | 27 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8 |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 1.9 |
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| 29 | 29 | | Part 1 of Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,10 |
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| 30 | 30 | | relating to the state employees' health insurance plan, is amended by adding a new Code11 |
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| 31 | 31 | | section to read as follows:12 |
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| 32 | 32 | | "45-18-22. |
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| 33 | 33 | | 13 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (a) Subject to available funding, the department shall conduct a three-year pilot program14 |
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| 35 | 35 | | beginning January 1, 2025, to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric15 |
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| 36 | 36 | | autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infection (PANDAS)16 23 LC 33 9240 |
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| 37 | 37 | | H. B. 140 |
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| 38 | 38 | | - 2 - |
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| 39 | 39 | | and pediatric acute onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) under the state health benefit17 |
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| 40 | 40 | | plan. Such diagnosis and treatment shall include, but shall not be limited to, the use of18 |
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| 41 | 41 | | intravenous immune globulin therapy when such therapy is prescribed by a physician and19 |
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| 42 | 42 | | is in keeping with the consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of PANDAS20 |
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| 43 | 43 | | or PANS as published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Participation in21 |
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| 44 | 44 | | the pilot program shall be limited to no more than 100 individuals per year, to be selected22 |
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| 45 | 45 | | in a manner determined by the department.23 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (b) The department is authorized to enter into an agreement with a patient advocacy24 |
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| 47 | 47 | | organization in order to create outreach materials for distribution to participating state25 |
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| 48 | 48 | | health benefit plan general and subspecialist pediatric providers in this state informing such26 |
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| 49 | 49 | | providers about the pilot and how to code claims for analysis by the department. Such27 |
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| 50 | 50 | | agreement shall also provide funding for educational resources to be made available to such28 |
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| 51 | 51 | | providers exemplifying how to recognize, diagnose, and treat PANDAS and PANS.29 |
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| 52 | 52 | | (c) The department shall provide an initial report by December 31, 2025, and annually30 |
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| 53 | 53 | | thereafter, to the chairpersons of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and31 |
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| 54 | 54 | | the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. Such report shall include, at a32 |
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| 55 | 55 | | minimum:33 |
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| 56 | 56 | | (1) The total number of participants in the pilot program;34 |
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| 57 | 57 | | (2) The total number of claims;35 |
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| 58 | 58 | | (3) The specific treatments covered in claims;36 |
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| 59 | 59 | | (4) Total cost of claims; and37 |
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| 60 | 60 | | (5) Number of providers.38 |
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| 61 | 61 | | (d) This Code section shall stand repealed on December 31, 2028."39 |
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| 62 | 62 | | SECTION 2.40 |
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| 63 | 63 | | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.41 |
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