HB 866: Community Health, Department of; pilot program to improve management of inpatient insulin levels in rural hospital organizations; provide

House Bill 866

By: Representatives Barton of the 5th, Taylor of the 173rd, Hawkins of the 27th, Cooper of the 45th, and Newton of the 127th

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

To amend Chapter 2 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Department of Community Health, so as to provide for a pilot program to improve the management of inpatient insulin levels in rural hospital organizations and for other purposes; to provide that such program be conducted by the Rural Health System Innovation Center; to provide for a grant program; to provide for the center to establish grant criteria and amounts; to provide for a report; to provide for definitions; to provide for automatic repeal; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date conditioned on appropriations; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Chapter 2 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Department of Community Health, is amended by revising Code Section 31-2-2, relating to definitions, as follows:

"31-2-2.

As used in this chapter, the term:

(1) 'Board' means the Board of Community Health established under Code Section 31-2-3.

(2) 'Center' means the Rural Health System Innovation Center established under Code Section 31-2-16 within the department's State Office of Rural Health. (2)(3) 'Commissioner' means the commissioner of community health established under Code Section 31-2-6.

(3)(4) 'Department' means the Department of Community Health established under Code Section 31-2-4.

(4)(5) 'Predecessor agency or unit' means the Department of Community Health, the Division of Public Health of the Department of Human Resources, and the Office of Regulatory Services of the Department of Human Resources. (5)(6) 'State health benefit plan' means the health insurance plan authorized under Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45 and Part 6 of Article 17 of Chapter 2 of Title 20. (6)(7) 'State Personnel Board' means the board established under Article IV, Section III of the Constitution."

SECTION 2.

Said chapter is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:

"31-2-16.1.

(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'rural hospital organization' shall have the same meaning as provided in Code Section 31-8-9.1.

(b) The center shall conduct a pilot program to improve the management of inpatient insulin levels in rural hospital organizations, reduce adverse patient incidents, and provide data on insulin management to primary care physicians upon patient discharge. (c)(1) Consistent with the pilot program's purposes as provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section, the center may establish a grant program to utilize and disburse funding to rural hospital organizations and physician groups to purchase technology, software, and equipment to track and manage inpatient insulin levels, receive specialty consultation and training in appropriate management of inpatient insulin levels in rural hospital settings, and to carry out any other purpose of the pilot program.

(2) The center shall establish grant criteria and make award decisions; provided, however, that the center shall consider the following:

(A) A high presence of diabetes in patients presenting for treatment at the rural hospital organization;

(B) A commitment by the rural hospital organization to utilize technology enabled tools to track inpatient insulin levels and improve precision in administering insulin;

(C) A structured partnership with a larger health system or physician practice group with expertise in endocrinology and diabetes management to assist the rural hospital organization in using data from technology to improve patient care; and

(D) An established plan to provide primary care physicians with data on insulin management for their patients upon discharge to reduce hospital readmission and improve outpatient outcomes.

(d) The pilot program established pursuant to this Code section shall be abolished and this Code section shall stand repealed on January 1, 2027.

(e) No later than December 31, 2026, upon the receipt of data collected from the pilot program, the center shall file a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the chairpersons of the House Committee on Health, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, the House Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Appropriations Committee, and the Office of Health Strategy and Coordination. Such report shall include a summary detailing the outcomes of the pilot program and shall also be published and made available and accessible to the public."

SECTION 3.

(a) This Act shall become effective only if funds are specifically appropriated for the purposes of this Act in an Appropriations Act enacted by the General Assembly.

(b) If funds are so appropriated, then this Act shall become effective on the later of:

(1) The date on which such Appropriations Act becomes effective; or

(2) The beginning date of the fiscal year for which such appropriations are made.

SECTION 4.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.