| 1 | 1 | | 25 LC 46 1042 |
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| 2 | 2 | | House Bill 263 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Representatives Bennett of the 94 |
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| 4 | 4 | | th |
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| 5 | 5 | | , Buckner of the 137 |
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| 6 | 6 | | th |
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| 7 | 7 | | , McQueen of the 61 |
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| 8 | 8 | | st |
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| 9 | 9 | | , Hugley |
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| 10 | 10 | | of the 141 |
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| 11 | 11 | | st |
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| 12 | 12 | | , Cannon of the 58 |
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| 13 | 13 | | th |
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| 14 | 14 | | , and others |
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| 15 | 15 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 16 | 16 | | AN ACT |
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| 17 | 17 | | To amend Article 7 of Chapter 4 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1 |
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| 19 | 19 | | relating to medical assistance generally, so as to provide for a pilot program to provide2 |
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| 20 | 20 | | coverage under the Medicaid program for doula care for pregnant Medicaid recipients; to3 |
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| 21 | 21 | | provide for reimbursement; to provide for doula qualifications; to provide for a report; to4 |
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| 22 | 22 | | provide for termination of the pilot project and automatic repeal; to provide for related5 |
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| 23 | 23 | | matters; to provide for contingent effectiveness upon appropriation of funds; to repeal6 |
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| 24 | 24 | | conflicting laws; and for other purposes.7 |
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| 25 | 25 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8 |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 1.9 |
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| 27 | 27 | | Article 7 of Chapter 4 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to10 |
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| 28 | 28 | | medical assistance generally, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:11 |
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| 29 | 29 | | "49-4-159.5. |
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| 30 | 30 | | 12 |
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| 31 | 31 | | (a) The department shall develop and implement a pilot program to provide Medicaid13 |
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| 32 | 32 | | coverage for doula care for pregnant Medicaid recipients. Such pilot program may provide14 |
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| 33 | 33 | | reimbursement for up to five doula visits for each pregnant Medicaid recipient, which may15 |
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| 34 | 34 | | include visits for prepartum care, labor and delivery, and postpartum care.16 |
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| 35 | 35 | | H. B. 263 |
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| 36 | 36 | | - 1 - 25 LC 46 1042 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (b) All doulas participating in the pilot program shall have completed appropriate training,17 |
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| 38 | 38 | | as determined by the department.18 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (c) No later than December 31, 2027, the department shall submit a detailed written report19 |
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| 40 | 40 | | on the implementation and effectiveness of the pilot program to the Governor, the President20 |
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| 41 | 41 | | of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the chairpersons of the21 |
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| 42 | 42 | | House Committee on Health, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, the House22 |
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| 43 | 43 | | Committee on Appropriations, and the Senate Appropriations Committee. Such report23 |
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| 44 | 44 | | shall include the health outcomes of participants and recommendations on the best process24 |
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| 45 | 45 | | of reimbursing doulas to promote retention in the perinatal workforce. The report shall also25 |
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| 46 | 46 | | include recommendations as to expansion of the pilot program state wide.26 |
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| 47 | 47 | | (d) The pilot program created by this Code section shall terminate on January 1, 2028, and27 |
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| 48 | 48 | | this Code section shall be repealed by operation of law on such date."28 |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 2.29 |
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| 50 | 50 | | This Act shall become effective only upon the effective date of a specific appropriation of30 |
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| 51 | 51 | | funds for purposes of this Act, as expressed in a line item making specific reference to such31 |
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| 52 | 52 | | Act in a General Appropriations Act enacted by the General Assembly.32 |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 3.33 |
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| 54 | 54 | | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.34 |
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| 55 | 55 | | H. B. 263 |
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| 56 | 56 | | - 2 - |
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