---
title: SB 481. Medical Assistance; Medicaid coverage for heart and lung transplants when medically necessary; require
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb481
cite_as: SB 481, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb481
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb481.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb481/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73035
date: 2026-02-10
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/sb480.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb482.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb481.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 481
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-09
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
  - Elena Parent
  - Harold Jones
  - Randal Mangham
  - Kim Jackson
  - Sally Harrell
  - Sonya Halpern
  - Tonya Anderson
  - Kenya Wicks
  - RaShaun Kemp
  - Gail Davenport
  - Nan Orrock
  - Derek Mallow
  - David Lucas
  - Josh McLaurin
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB481/2025
upstream_id: 2112257
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Medicaid coverage
  - organ transplants
  - healthcare access
  - immunosuppressant drugs
  - health policy
---

# SB 481. Medical Assistance; Medicaid coverage for heart and lung transplants when medically necessary; require

## Text

Senate Bill 481
By: Senators Parent of the 44th, Jones II of the 22nd, Mangham of the 55th, Jackson of the
41st, Harrell of the 40th and others
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 Medicaid coverage for heart and
lung transplants when medically necessary; to provide for related healthcare services
including immunosuppressant drugs; to provide for a state plan amendment or waiver
request; 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:
<ins>"49-4-159.5.
(a) The department shall provide Medicaid coverage for heart and lung transplants when
such procedures are determined by a duly licensed physician in this state to be medically
necessary. Such coverage shall include related healthcare services before and after such
transplants and immunosuppressant drugs.
</ins>
<ins>(b) The department shall submit any Medicaid state plan amendment or waiver requests
necessary to implement the provisions of this Code section to the United States Department
of Health and Human Services."
</ins> 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 Senate bill would require the state's Medicaid program to cover heart and lung transplants, along with related care and anti-rejection drugs, whenever a licensed physician says the procedure is medically necessary.

### Plain-language summary

Georgia's Medicaid program is run by the Department of Community Health under Title 49 of state law. This bill adds a new section requiring the department to cover heart and lung transplants for Medicaid patients whenever a physician licensed in Georgia determines the transplant is medically necessary. Coverage would also extend to related healthcare services provided before and after the transplant, as well as immunosuppressant drugs, which patients need long-term to keep their bodies from rejecting a transplanted organ.

Because Medicaid is a joint state-federal program, the bill directs the Department of Community Health to submit any state plan amendment or waiver request needed to the federal Department of Health and Human Services to actually put this coverage into effect. The bill repeals any conflicting laws but does not state a specific effective date beyond the Act's general terms.

### What it does

- Adds a new Code section (O.C.G.A. § 49-4-159.5) requiring Georgia Medicaid to cover heart and lung transplants when a Georgia-licensed physician deems them medically necessary.
- Extends that coverage to healthcare services provided before and after the transplant, not just the surgery itself.
- Requires Medicaid to cover immunosuppressant drugs, the medications transplant patients need to prevent organ rejection.
- Directs the Department of Community Health to file any Medicaid state plan amendment or federal waiver request needed to carry out the new coverage requirement.

### Who it affects

Georgians enrolled in Medicaid who need heart or lung transplants, the physicians who determine medical necessity, and the Department of Community Health, which administers Medicaid and would need federal approval to implement the change.

### Why it matters

Transplant surgery, follow-up care, and lifelong immunosuppressant drugs are expensive. If enacted, Medicaid patients needing a heart or lung transplant would have a clearer guarantee of coverage for the surgery and the ongoing medications required to keep the transplant successful.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 creates O.C.G.A. § 49-4-159.5(a), requiring Medicaid coverage for heart and lung transplants determined medically necessary by a licensed Georgia physician, plus related pre- and post-transplant care and immunosuppressant drugs.
- Section 1 creates subsection (b), requiring the Department of Community Health to submit any Medicaid state plan amendment or waiver request needed to implement the coverage to the federal Department of Health and Human Services.
- Section 2 repeals any state laws that conflict with the new requirement.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2026-02-09)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-02-10)
- Sponsors: Elena Parent, Harold Jones, Randal Mangham, Kim Jackson, Sally Harrell, Sonya Halpern, Tonya Anderson, Kenya Wicks, RaShaun Kemp, Gail Davenport, Nan Orrock, Derek Mallow, David Lucas, Josh McLaurin
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73035

> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb481.md?full=1