---
title: SB 528. Insurance; health benefit plans, policies, or contracts executed by the state to cover medically necessary orthotic devices and prosthetic devices and their materials and components; require
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb528
cite_as: SB 528, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb528
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb528.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb528/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73385
date: 2026-02-19
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.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb528.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 528
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-18
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
- Randy Robertson
- Clint Dixon
- Matt Brass
- Brian Strickland
- Billy Hickman
- Mike Hodges
- Max Burns
- Jason T. Dickerson
- Lee Anderson
- Shawn Still
- Chuck Payne
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB528/2025
upstream_id: 2119559
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- health insurance
- state employee benefits
- prosthetic and orthotic coverage
- teacher benefits
- insurance mandates
---
# SB 528. Insurance; health benefit plans, policies, or contracts executed by the state to cover medically necessary orthotic devices and prosthetic devices and their materials and components; require
## Text
Senate Bill 528
By: Senators Robertson of the 29th, Dixon of the 45th, Brass of the 6th, Strickland of the
42nd, Hickman of the 4th and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 24 of Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
insurance generally, so as to require health benefit plans, policies, or contracts executed by
the state to cover medically necessary orthotic devices and prosthetic devices and their
materials and components; to revise a definition; to provide for related matters; to provide
for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Chapter 24 of Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to insurance
generally, is amended in Code Section 33-24-59.35, relating to required coverage orthotic
devices and prosthetic devices, reporting, and regulation, by revising paragraph (3) of
subsection (a) as follows:
"(3) 'Health benefit policy' means any individual or group plan, policy, or contract for
healthcare services issued, delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state by an
insurer that provides major medical benefits. Such On or after January 1, 2027, such term
shall not include any plans, policies, or contracts executed by the state to provide
healthcare coverage on behalf of state employees, public school teachers and employees,
and members and employees of the Board of Regents of the University System of
Georgia and their retirees and dependents under Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45, and
shall not apply to the provision of healthcare services pursuant to a contract entered into
by an insurer and the Department of Community Health for recipients of Medicaid. Such
term shall not include self-funded, employer sponsored health insurance plans subject to
the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974, as codified and amended at 29 U.S.C. Section 1001, et seq."
SECTION 2.
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law
without such approval.
SECTION 3.
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 Health Benefit Plan, covering state employees, public school teachers, and University System of Georgia employees, to cover medically necessary orthotic and prosthetic devices starting in 2027.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law already requires many health insurance policies to cover medically necessary orthotic devices (braces and other supports) and prosthetic devices (artificial limbs) and their parts, under O.C.G.A. § 33-24-59.35. But that law currently excludes health plans the state provides to its own employees, meaning state workers were not guaranteed this coverage the way people on other insurance plans were.
This bill rewrites the definition of 'health benefit policy' so that, starting January 1, 2027, it includes plans the state provides to state employees, public school teachers and employees, and members and employees of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, along with their retirees and dependents. That change means these state-run plans would now have to comply with the orthotic and prosthetic coverage mandate. Self-funded employer health plans governed by the federal ERISA law remain excluded. The law would take effect as soon as the Governor signs it.
### What it does
- Removes the exclusion that kept state employee health plans from having to cover orthotic and prosthetic devices under Georgia's coverage mandate (O.C.G.A. § 33-24-59.35).
- Extends the coverage requirement to plans covering public school teachers and employees and to members and employees of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.
- Extends the requirement to retirees and dependents of these state-connected employees, not just active employees.
- Sets January 1, 2027 as the date the new coverage requirement for these state plans takes effect.
- Keeps the existing exclusion for self-funded, employer-sponsored plans governed by the federal ERISA law.
### Who it affects
State employees, public school teachers and staff, and Board of Regents employees enrolled in state-provided health plans, along with their retirees and dependents. It also affects the State Health Benefit Plan administrators and insurers who must now cover orthotic and prosthetic devices for this population.
### Why it matters
State employees, teachers, and university system workers who need artificial limbs, braces, or similar devices would gain a guaranteed insurance benefit that other Georgians with private major medical plans already have, potentially reducing out-of-pocket costs for these medically necessary devices starting in 2027.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 revises paragraph (3) of subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. § 33-24-59.35, changing the definition of 'health benefit policy' used throughout the orthotic and prosthetic coverage law.
- The revised definition removes language that excluded plans executed by the state on behalf of state employees under Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45.
- The revised definition adds coverage for public school teachers and employees and Board of Regents members and employees, plus their retirees and dependents, effective January 1, 2027.
- The bill removes language that had exempted Medicaid contracts between insurers and the Department of Community Health from the coverage requirement.
- Self-funded, employer-sponsored plans subject to the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 remain excluded from the definition.
- Section 2 makes the Act effective immediately upon the Governor's signature or upon becoming law without signature.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-02-18)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-02-19)
- Sponsors: Randy Robertson, Clint Dixon, Matt Brass, Brian Strickland, Billy Hickman, Mike Hodges, Max Burns, Jason T. Dickerson, Lee Anderson, Shawn Still, Chuck Payne
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73385
> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb528.md?full=1