GHF is pleased to welcome Bianca Garcia as a Health Policy Intern. Bianca is a second year Master of Public Health student in health policy and management at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Purchase College in New York. Since then, Bianca has worked at different levels of our healthcare system—from clinical research associate training labs to clinics to health departments—which has equipped her with an intimate understanding of its strengths and weaknesses.

Bianca is interested in creating and promoting policy that improves access to care in disadvantaged communities. She is also interested in primary prevention initiatives that focus on education and economic prosperity.

As GHF’s Health Policy Intern, Bianca will be gathering data about Georgia’s Medicaid program and collecting recommendations from many of GHF’s partner organizations about how to improve Georgia’s Medicaid program. This information will be synthesized into a report and recommendations for state policymakers. During her time at GHF, Bianca hopes to learn more about communicating with legislators and how to effectively advocate for consumer interests.

With four open enrollment periods completed and a fifth one beginning in the coming weeks, the Health Insurance Marketplace has become established as the avenue for purchasing coverage for thousands of Georgians who do not have access to have insurance at work. The fourth open enrollment period differed from the first three in several important ways, and understanding these variations will be important in ensuring that the Marketplace continues to serve consumers who seek access to affordable comprehensive health insurance. This report examines the characteristics of the consumers enrolled in the Georgia Marketplace, compares open enrollment 4 to the previous three enrollment periods, and provides a preview for open enrollment 5.

Inside you’ll find:

– Key themes in consumer and assister experiences during the 2017 open enrollment period
– A look forward to open enrollment 5
– Policy opportunities to increase enrollment, ensure access to care, address affordability issues, and facilitate continued consumer education and supports

You can find the full report here.