Q: There is proposed legislation that would allow Georgians to purchase health insurance in other states. There are states that require companies to insure people with pre-existing conditions. If the legislation passes, how would this affect Georgians who would like to purchase a policy but have a pre-existing condition? Would the companies in these states be required to cover somebody from another state? Just because Georgia residents would be able to purchase a policy from another state, would we be able to?
—Andrew Lederman, Lawrenceville
A: Based upon the current language in House Bill 47, the bill appears to be intended to allow health insurers authorized to transact insurance in this state to also sell in Georgia health insurance policies approved in other states, Matt Kilgallen, a spokesman with the Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, told Q&A on the News. The availability of such policies would be dependent on the health insurer filing the policy with our office, and as a result, a consumer could not get this policy from the other state, he wrote in an e-mail. "It is also our understanding that HB 47 does not propose to grant Georgians any new guaranteed issue rights under individual health insurance or otherwise eliminate pre-existing condition exclusions that a health insurer has adopted," he wrote.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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