Health Reform
Georgia consistently ranks near the bottom among all states on measures of health insurance coverage, access to care, and health outcomes:
- nearly two million Georgians are uninsured, the fifth highest number of uninsured people of any state in the nation
- particularly in Georgia’s rural communities, shortages of primary care providers prevent children, families and older adults from getting the care they need
- more people in Georgia suffer from diabetes, obesity, heart conditions, and other chronic illness than in most other states–and infant mortality rates are higher
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), the nation’s new health care law, addresses these problems by comprehensively reforming our nation’s health care system with the goal of expanding access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
The ACA is comprehensive and complex, and is slated for full implementation in 2014. While many components of the new law will be determined at the national level, several of the most critical elements of implementation will require state-level action. In fact, within the framework set out in the new law, there is considerable flexibility for states to craft the structures that work best for them. It is critical that health care consumers have a seat at the table along with stakeholders and policymakers as these decisions are being made that will impact access to health care for years to come in our state.
Georgians for a Healthy Future regularly makes presentations about health reform to community organizations, patient advocacy groups, consumers, and others hungry for information about health reform. In the past year alone, we have made more than thirty presentations to such groups. You can view power point slides and video from a selection of these presentations here. Please contact us if you’d like for us to come and present to your organization, or even if you want to engage in advocacy on this issue as an individual.
Health reform presents a big opportunity to make real change in Georgia: please join us in advocacy efforts to reach our long-term vision wherein all Georgians have access to the quality, affordable health care they need to lead healthy lives and contribute to the health of their communities.
