In April 2025, Georgia passed two new laws—Senate Bill 68 (SB 68) and Senate Bill 69 (SB 69)—that changed how personal injury cases work going forward. While much of the discussion has focused on courts and lawsuits, these changes matter just as much to everyday people, especially those who rely on health insurance like Medicare or Medicaid or any health insurance they have through their employer or have privately purchased, after an accident.
If you are injured in a car crash, slip and fall, or another accident caused by someone else’s negligence, your health insurance often steps in first to cover a portion of your medical care. Under the new law, however, how those medical costs are handled in an injury claim has changed.
SB 68 changes how medical bills are shown and considered in a personal injury case. Instead of automatically focusing on the full amount a doctor or hospital billed, the law allows the jury to see evidence of what was actually accepted as payment for the care, along with other information about the cost of treatment. This can affect how jurors understand the value of medical care and, ultimately, how damages are calculated.
For people with health insurance, this may mean jurors hear lower numbers than the original medical bills. For those covered by Medicare or Medicaid—programs that reimburse providers at lower, government-set rates—the difference between the billed charges and the accepted payment can be substantial. Even when medical treatment is extensive and necessary, the way those costs are presented under the new law may influence the overall compensation an injured person receives.
This means that even if someone requires extensive treatment—emergency care, surgery, physical therapy, or long-term follow-up—the portion of compensation tied to medical expenses may be smaller than expected. At the same time, Medicare and Medicaid and many other health insurance companies still have the right to be reimbursed from any settlement or verdict. When recoverable medical damages are reduced, balancing those repayment obligations with the injured person’s overall recovery can become more difficult.
SB 69 deals with outside companies that provide money to help people pay for their lawsuit or medical expenses while their case is pending. The law now requires these companies to register with the state and be transparent about the funding, so everyone involved in the case knows where the money is coming from. It also ensures these companies cannot control the lawsuit or make legal decisions.
Ultimately, what this new law does is allow auto insurance companies to save money and increase their profits by reducing the compensation they provide to individuals who have been injured through no fault of their own. For anyone injured after April 21, 2025, taking time early on to understand these changes—and how they apply to your specific situation—can make a meaningful difference in navigating recovery, finances, and next steps.
