Georgia § 33-1-26 - Governor's request for waiver from federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; expiration of authority.

§ 33-1-26. Governor's request for waiver from federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; expiration of authority.

The Governor is hereby authorized to submit one or more applications to the United States Secretaries of Health and Human Services and the Treasury for waiver of applicable provisions of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P. L. 111-148) under Section 1332 with respect to health insurance coverage or health insurance products. Any such submission to obtain a state innovation waiver may include multiple waiver submissions. On or after January 1, 2020, upon approval of one or more waivers, the state is authorized to implement such waiver or waivers as provided under Section 1332 of such federal act in a manner consistent with state and federal law. The authority granted to the Governor in subsection (a) of this Code section to submit one or more applications shall expire on December 31, 2021. (Code 1981, § 33-1-26 , enacted by Ga. L. 2019, p. 2, § 3-2/SB 106.) Effective date. - This Code section became effective March 27, 2019. Editor's notes. - Ga. L. 2019, p. 2, § 1-1/SB 106, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: "This Act shall be known and may be cited as the 'Patients First Act.'" Ga. L. 2019, p. 2, § 3-1/SB 106, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: "The General Assembly finds that: "(1) For Georgians in recent years, private sector health insurance choices have decreased and the costs of insurance coverage have increased; "(2) Through the granting of Section 1332 innovation waivers, the federal government allows states to pursue innovative strategies for providing their residents with access to high quality, comprehensive, and affordable health insurance while retaining the basic protections for consumers; and "(3) Such waivers may be narrowly tailored to address specific problems and may address, among other things, the creation of state reinsurance programs, high-risk health conditions, changes to premium tax credits and cost-sharing arrangements, consumer-driven health care accounts, the creation of new health insurance products, the implementation of health care delivery systems, or the redefinition of essential health benefits." Law reviews. - For article on the 2019 enactment of this Code section, see 36 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 207 (2019).