HB866: HB866 Community Health, Department of; pilot program to improve management of inpatient insulin levels in rural hospital organizations; provide

Georgia law does not currently have a dedicated program to help rural hospitals track and manage insulin dosing for hospitalized patients. This bill would add a new section to the Department of Community Health's governing law (O.C.G.A. Title 31, Chapter 2) creating a pilot program aimed at improving inpatient insulin management, reducing bad patient outcomes, and giving primary care doctors insulin data when patients are discharged. The Rural Health System Innovation Center, housed in the department's State Office of Rural Health, would run the program and could give grants to rural hospitals and physician groups to buy tracking technology, get specialist training, and partner with larger health systems. The center would set its own grant criteria, considering factors like local diabetes rates and hospital partnerships with endocrinology experts. The program would automatically end on January 1, 2027, after a public report is filed by December 31, 2026. The whole Act only takes effect if the General Assembly specifically appropriates funding for it.

• Creates a new pilot program at the Rural Health System Innovation Center to improve how rural hospitals manage insulin levels for hospitalized patients.
• Allows the center to set up a grant program giving money to rural hospitals and physician groups for insulin-tracking technology, staff training, and specialist partnerships.
• Directs the center to set its own criteria for awarding grants, weighing factors like local diabetes rates and partnerships with endocrinology experts.
• Requires a public report to the Governor, legislative leaders, and several committees by December 31, 2026 summarizing the program's results.
• Automatically abolishes the pilot program and repeals the new law on January 1, 2027.
• Makes the entire Act take effect only if the General Assembly specifically appropriates funding for it in a budget act.

Rural hospitals classified as rural hospital organizations under Georgia law, physician groups partnering with them, hospitalized patients with diabetes, primary care doctors who receive discharge data, and the Department of Community Health's Rural Health System Innovation Center, which would administer the grants.

If funded, rural hospitals could get money and technology to better track insulin dosing for patients, potentially reducing dangerous dosing errors and hospital readmissions, while primary care doctors would get more data to manage patients after they leave the hospital.

• Section 1 amends the definitions in O.C.G.A. § 31-2-2 to add the Rural Health System Innovation Center as a defined term within the Department of Community Health's chapter.
• Section 2 adds new Code Section 31-2-16.1, directing the center to run a pilot program on inpatient insulin management in rural hospital organizations.
• Subsection (c) lets the center create a grant program funding technology, training, and specialist consultation, and lists four factors the center must consider when awarding grants.
• Subsection (d) automatically abolishes the pilot program and repeals the Code section on January 1, 2027.
• Subsection (e) requires a report by December 31, 2026 to the Governor, legislative leaders, several committees, and the public summarizing program outcomes.
• Section 3 makes the Act effective only if the General Assembly specifically appropriates funding for it, tied to the relevant Appropriations Act or fiscal year.

1. 2025-03-28House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-03-27House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-03-25House Hopper (House)

• Matt Barton (R, HD-005)Primary sponsor
• Darlene Taylor (R, HD-173)
• Lee Hawkins (R, HD-027)
• Sharon Cooper (R, HD-045)
• Mark Newton (R, HD-127)

• rural hospitals
• diabetes care
• hospital funding
• health department programs
• insulin management