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Gov. Kemp signs bill extending Medicaid coverage for new mothers to six months

H.B. 1114 was among a handful of bills signed by the governor on Thursday.

ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp signed H.B. 1114, a bill that extends Medicaid coverage for new mothers to six months after giving birth, into law on Thursday.

It was among a handful the governor signed during a ceremony at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital in Cobb County.

The new law, which was passed unanimously by both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly in June, provides for "postpartum care for mothers for a period of six months following the date the woman gives birth," under Medicaid, as well as lactation care and services for women who are breastfeeding. 

"With that piece of legislation, we're gonna enhance access to quality and timely care for mothers on Medicaid," Kemp said. "Coupled with other investments, including the Morehouse School of Medicine, H.B. 1114 will dramatically improve health outcomes for Georgia mothers."

It was one of the policies advocated for to help improve Georgia's maternal mortality rate, which is one of the worst in the nation.

The other bills signed on Thursday included:

  • H.B. 521, which allows for dentists licensed in other states to obtain temporary licenses to treat indigent populations in Georgia; 
  • H.B. 578, which expanded how the state Department of Human Services can review background data for people applying in positions as volunteers, interns or students;
  • H.B. 789, which has to do with rating health plans;
  • H.B. 888, which works to protect people from surprise medical bills;
  • H.B. 932, which allows doctors of podiatric medicine to jointly own a business with doctors of medicine and osteopathy;
  • S.B. 28, requiring that co-pays "shall be reasonable in relation to the covered benefits to which they apply;"
  • S.B. 395, to "revise the standard of indigency relating to portioning of proceeds from the sale or lease of a hospital by a hospital authority" and to "provide for additional methods for the investment of funds by hospital authorities which hold an irrevocable trust wherein the corpus exceeds certain amounts."

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