ATLANTA – GAMPAC, the Medical Association of Georgia’s political action committee, has endorsed State Sen. Ralph Hudgens (R-Hull) in his bid to become the Insurance Commissioner for the State of Georgia.

“Senator Hudgens has earned a reputation as a tenacious champion for health insurance reform in Georgia,” says GAMPAC Chairman Ben Cheek, M.D., an OB-GYN from Columbus. “That’s the result of his actions…sponsoring and supporting a variety of legislative measures to enhance the health care that our patients in this state receive.”

Dr. Cheek says that in 2009 Sen. Hudgens, the chairman of the Georgia Senate Insurance Committee, sponsored S.B. 62 – a bill that would require third party administrators to comply with Georgia's prompt pay statute. Dr. Cheek points out that Sen. Hudgens introduced similar legislation in 2007 and 2008 as well.

Dr. Cheek says that Sen. Hudgens also sponsored a bill (S.B. 50) in 2009 that would have required transparency in the health insurance contracts between physicians and other health care providers and insurers.

“Sen. Hudgens has demonstrated that he’s an advocate for patients and physicians in Georgia,” Dr. Cheek says. “He understands that reforming the state’s health insurance system will result in lower costs and it will reinforce the physician-patient relationship.”

Dr. Cheek concludes that, “It’s imperative that we support Senator Hudgens as Insurance Commissioner if we hope to achieve our collective vision for exemplary health care in Georgia.”

GAMPAC is encouraging physicians and patients in Georgia to go to www.ralphhudgens.com for additional information on Sen. Hudgens.

Go to www.mag.org/gampac for additional information on GAMPAC.