---
title: HB 178. Social services; treatment services under Medicaid to persons with HIV; provisions
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb178
cite_as: HB 178, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb178
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb178.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb178/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69657
date: 2025-02-03
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb177.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb179.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb178.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 178
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-01-29
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Sharon Cooper
- Lee Hawkins
- Ron Stephens
- Darlene Taylor
- Karla Drenner
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB178/2025
upstream_id: 1947503
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- Medicaid
- HIV treatment
- health insurance
- public health funding
---
# HB 178. Social services; treatment services under Medicaid to persons with HIV; provisions
## Text
House Bill 178
By: Representatives Cooper of the 45th, Hawkins of the 27th, Stephens of the 164th, Taylor
of the 173rd, and Drenner of the 85th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 7 of Chapter 4 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to medical assistance generally, so as to require the Department of Community
Health to submit a Section 1115 waiver request to the federal Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services for a demonstration project to provide treatment services under Medicaid
to persons in this state living with HIV; to provide for implementation upon approval; to
provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 7 of Chapter 4 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
medical assistance generally, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"49-4-142.6.
(a) On or before December 31, 2025, the department shall submit a waiver request to the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of the United States Department of Health and
Human Services pursuant to Section 1115 of the federal Social Security Act to conduct a
demonstration project to provide treatment services under Medicaid to persons in this state
living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Such demonstration project shall be
designed to provide more effective, early treatment of HIV to persons in this state by
making available a package of services, including antiretrovirals. The eligibility criteria
for recipients shall include having a diagnosis of HIV, an income of less than 138 percent
of the federal poverty level, and no health insurance.
(b) Upon approval of the waiver, the department shall take all necessary steps to
implement the terms and conditions of the waiver."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia House bill would require the Department of Community Health to seek federal permission to create a Medicaid program offering HIV treatment services to low-income, uninsured Georgians living with HIV.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia's Medicaid program does not currently have a specific pathway for treating people living with HIV who lack health insurance. This bill would add a new section to Georgia law directing the Department of Community Health to ask the federal government for permission to set one up.
Specifically, the department would have to submit a Section 1115 waiver request to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services by December 31, 2025. The waiver would ask to run a demonstration project offering Medicaid treatment services, including antiretroviral drugs, to Georgians diagnosed with HIV who earn less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level and have no health insurance. If the federal government approves the waiver, the department would then have to take the steps needed to put it into effect.
### What it does
- Requires the Department of Community Health to submit a Section 1115 Medicaid waiver request to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services by December 31, 2025.
- Directs that the waiver seek a demonstration project providing HIV treatment services, including antiretroviral drugs, through Medicaid.
- Sets eligibility criteria for the program: an HIV diagnosis, income below 138 percent of the federal poverty level, and no health insurance.
- Requires the department to implement the waiver's terms once the federal government approves it.
- Adds this requirement as a new Code section (O.C.G.A. ยง 49-4-142.6) within Georgia's Medicaid law.
### Who it affects
Georgians living with HIV who have low incomes and no health insurance would become eligible for the new Medicaid treatment program. The Department of Community Health would be responsible for submitting the waiver request and running the program if approved, and federal Medicaid officials would decide whether to approve it.
### Why it matters
If the federal government approves the waiver, uninsured, low-income Georgians with HIV could gain access to Medicaid-funded treatment, including antiretroviral drugs, that they currently cannot get through the state's existing Medicaid rules. Whether this happens depends on federal approval, which is not guaranteed by the bill.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds new Code section 49-4-142.6, requiring the waiver request be submitted by December 31, 2025.
- The demonstration project must be designed for early, effective HIV treatment through a package of services including antiretrovirals.
- Eligibility is limited to people with an HIV diagnosis, income under 138 percent of the federal poverty level, and no health insurance.
- Once the waiver is approved, the department must take all necessary steps to implement its terms and conditions.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting state laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-01-29)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-03)
- Sponsors: Sharon Cooper, Lee Hawkins, Ron Stephens, Darlene Taylor, Karla Drenner
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69657
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb178.md?full=1