Georgia adopts health-care package of bills targeting pregnant women and patient rights

A law granting welfare benefits to pregnant women was among a package of a dozen health-related bills signed into law in Georgia Tuesday.

“We’re taking important steps to improve access to and quality of health care,” Gov. Brian Kemp said during a signing ceremony inside the Georgia Capitol.

Federal law currently allows low-income pregnant women to receive cash aid through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, but Georgia law does not. The General Assembly overwhelmingly passed House Bill 129 to rectify that.

Kemp pledged in his State of the State address in January to push for legislation extending TANF benefits to pregnant women. The bill was introduced by freshman state Rep. Soo Hong, R-Lawrenceville, one of the governor’s floor leaders in the House.

The other health-care bills Kemp signed Tuesday include:

— House Bill 85, which requires insurance companies to cover biomarker testing if supported by medical and scientific evidence.

— House Bill 383, increasing penalties for assaulting a health-care worker.

— House Bill 295, beefing up consumer protections against surprise billing.

— Senate Bill 46, requiring testing of all pregnant women for HIV and syphilis.

— Senate Bill 106, creating a three-year pilot program providing coverage for remote maternal clinical health services.

— Senate Bill 223, requiring reimbursements of expenses incurred by patients participating in cancer clinical trials.