ATLANTA (January 7, 2014) | State Senator Valencia Seay (D-Riverdale) recently pre-filed Senate Bill 9 to ensure state employees have the opportunity to select an additional state health benefit plan (SHBP) in the event their coverage is denied at a particular place of care.“Our hard working state employees should not bear the burden of certain health care providers dropping previously approved coverage,” said Sen. Seay. “Senate Bill 9 seeks to give employees another window to select the best coverage for them and their families. If passed, recipients will keep receiving the care they have become accustomed to at their desired medical care facility.”
This bill will create new terms and definitions in the Georgia Code related to the SHBP. Specifically, the bill would enable SHBP enrollees to re-select a health plan in cases where a medical claims administrator declares a major medical facility to be “out-of-network” after the traditional open enrollment period has ended.
If passed, the Board of Community Health will be required to reopen the open enrollment period for any employee covered under a defaulting medical claims administrator. Enrollees would then be able to select coverage under a different medical claims administrator. Under this provision, the selection process will occur no later than two weeks after the effective date in the amended Code sections of the proposed legislation.
The first-term of the 153rd Legislative Session will begin on January 12, 2015.
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For Immediate Release:
January 7, 2015
For Information Contact:
Jennifer Yarber, Director
Adam Sweat, Sr. Communications Specialist
Adam.sweat@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028