Peach Pulse Archive 2021

A new amendment to Georgia’s Medicaid program will now allow schools to bill for school nursing services provided to all Medicaid enrolled students. Previously, students needed an Individualized Education Program (IEP) in order for Medicaid to cover school nursing services, thus limiting the services schools could be reimbursed for.

Half of Georgia’s kids are covered by Medicaid or PeachCare, so this change is dramatic and creates an opportunity to bring in hundreds of millions of Medicaid dollars to Georgia’s school districts. The change to school Medicaid policy requires the Georgia Departments of Education and Community Health work together to ensure schools are able to successfully take advantage of this opportunity.

You can read more about the new update to Georgia Medicaid here or reach out to Whitney Griggs, GHF’s Health Policy Analyst, at wgriggs@healthyfuturega.org if you have questions.

Help us spread the word: Georgians have less than one month before the August 15th deadline to enroll in affordable, comprehensive health coverage!

Under the new American Rescue Plan Act, 127,000 uninsured Georgians are newly eligible for financial help to lower their health insurance costs. Another 134,900 uninsured Georgians now qualify for zero-dollar ($0) premiums. Healthcare.gov is open through August 15th so consumers can shop and enroll! 

Here are a few resources that may help you or your loved ones get covered:

• See a quick estimate of your monthly premium with Kaiser Family Foundation’s health insurance marketplace calculator
• Have questions? Our partners at the Georgia Primary Care Association can help! Call them at 1-844-442-7421
• Learn the basics of health insurance with our Get Covered. Stay Covered. video series

If you are already insured, share our posts on FaceBook, Twitter, & LinkedIn to help us spread the word!

The Georgia Health Action Network (GHAN) is BACK for a summer conversation! Join us this Tuesday, June 29th, 2021 at noon as we discuss how mental health & substance use have been covered unfairly by health insurers. You will learn why these inequities are important, and how they can be improved in Georgia. We will also discuss how health advocates like you can urge Georgia policy makers to hold insurance companies’ accountable for inequitable and unfair coverage of mental health & substance use needs.

RSVP here this important conversation!

As GHF’s health policy analyst, Whitney Griggs, explains in a recent blog, a lot has changed since Gov. Kemp plan to cut ties with the ACA’s health insurance marketplace (healthcare.gov) was approved by the Trump administration. These recent changes have prompted federal health officials to ask for more information from Gov. Kemp about his plans. After Gov. Kemp provides the requested information, officials have said there will be a new public comment period so that Georgians and Georgia stakeholders can provide their feedback about the plan. That’s where you come in! 

Health officials need to hear from you and Cover Georgia has made it easy to participate in the comment period. Click here to submit a comment now! We’ll hold on to your comment until the comment period opens (likely in early July) and then send it to health officials. Speak up for health care today!

Confused about what’s happening with Gov. Kemp’s two health care waivers? Cover Georgia has the latest on this handy timeline. See the latest developments on the Governor’s partial Medicaid expansion plan or his proposed changes to private health insurance.

Medicaid provides health insurance to many different Georgians. including those living with disabilities. Our latest blog features a first-hand account from a Georgia mother whose 9-year-old daughter, Amelia, is covered by Medicaid. Her daughter was diagnosed with Ataxic Cerebral Palsy at 18 months. Since her diagnosis, the two have navigated challenging care and coverage issues. Their experiences highlight a number of the policy and advocacy issues that GHF works hard to address: Medicaid, difficulty finding health care providers, the role of public health in Georgia, and support for caregivers.

Learn more about Amelia and her family’s experience navigating Medicaid in Georgia.

Transportation is a fundamental building block for adequate access to health care. Each year millions of Americans miss or delay health care because they do not have a way to get there. Through the Georgians in the Driver’s Seat initiative, GHF has talked with folks around the state about their transportation needs and how it impacts their health.

Lamar County resident James has observed firsthand some of the gaps in Georgia’s Medicaid transportation system. Because of it’s inefficiencies, James’ elderly mother has to find other ways to get to and from her local senior center, which she attends to stay mentally and physically healthy.

“Transportation is an area that needs to be focused on, particularly in rural communities and, at least particularly for the special needs population and folks who may not have resources and have some socio-economic challenges” said James about the transportation issues and potential solutions in his county and throughout Georgia.

Learn more about James and his experiences in Lamar County in our latest blog.

GHF recently welcomed Amir Jones to the Board of Directors! From his years as an advocate for health care access, Amir brings a breadth of experience and expertise that will inform and guide GHF’s work over his term of service. Join us in welcoming Amir to the board! Learn more about GHF’s Board of Directors and Staff on our website.

Last week all Georgia residents 16 years and older became eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations. COVID-19 vaccines protect you from getting seriously ill and keep your loved ones safe from catching the virus. Here are a few resources to help you schedule your vaccine appointment:

• Georgia Dept of Public Health COVID-19 vaccine scheduling & resource line: (888) 457-0186
  • Available in English & Spanish
• Learn more about mass vaccination sites and make your appointment
• Georgia Department of Public Health’s Vaccine locator–with links to public health departments, pharmacies, and other places to schedule your vaccine appointment
• From Good Rx: Find a vaccination site near you

Most Georgians who qualify for health insurance and financial help through the Affordable Care Act (or “Obamacare”) are still uninsured. Help us spread the word!

Healthcare.gov is open now and starting tomorrow, April 1st, Georgians qualify for new discounts on their coverage thanks to the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Georgians can shop for and enroll in affordable, quality health plans now through August 15, 2021.

With the ARP’s added financial help, 127,000 uninsured, middle-income Georgians are eligible for discounts that lower their health insurance costs. Another 134,900 uninsured Georgians with low or modest incomes qualify for lower or zero-dollar ($0) premiums who enroll in plans through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace.

Find out what discounts you or your loved ones may be eligible for with this easy calculator from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Then shop and enroll at healthcare.gov or 1-800-318-2596!

This month, GHF welcomed Whitney Griggs as our new Health Policy Analyst and Knetta Adkins as our new Organizing Manager.

Whitney will lead GHF’s research, data, and policy analysis work so that GHF remains evidence-based and data-driven. Knetta will build and grow GHF’s outreach and organizing efforts, keeping GHF in touch with the most important health care stakeholders—Georgia’s health care consumers.

We are so pleased to have Whitney and Knetta join the GHF staff! Visit our website to learn more about Whitney, Knetta, and the rest of GHF’s team!

In partnership with Georgia Watch and SOWEGA Rising, GHF is pleased to announce our participation in the Community Benefit and Economic Stability Project (new link). The focus of this initiative is to work with community groups and local health care providers to address local needs around medical billing and debt in southwest Georgia. This project is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Georgia team will receive technical assistance from Community Catalyst.

Check out the new initiative page from Community Catalyst to learn more about this project and look for updates from GHF and our partners as we begin this exciting work.

Healthcare.gov is open for a special enrollment period from February 15 to May 15, 2021. Georgians have another chance to shop for quality, affordable health plans and enroll in coverage. Nine out of ten Georgians qualify for financial help to lower their premiums and other costs! Most Georgians who qualify for health insurance & financial help through the Affordable Care Act (also called “Obamacare”) are still uninsured. So help us spread the word!

If you need help figuring out if you qualify, how much financial help you can get, or have other questions, contact our partners at the Georgia Primary Care Association. Their help is free and unbiased:

• Online help is here. Scroll to the bottom of the page to fill out the form for help
• By phone: 1-844-442-7421

If you or your loved ones need more information about how health insurance works, what to do after you have signed up, and more, GHF has you covered! Check out GHF’s Get Help with Health Insurancelibrary so you and yours get covered and stay covered.

The Georgia legislative session is more than half-way over, but there is still plenty of opportunity for consumer-driven health policies to be approved by legislators! You can view a full list of the health legislation that we are tracking here. Here are a few of the bills we are currently monitoring and supporting:

• SB 80, the Ensuring Transparency in Prior Authorization Act, is sponsored by Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick and aims to increase access to care by putting common sense guardrails around prior authorization. (Learn more about prior authorization in our February 8th legislative update.) The Senate Insurance Committee approved SB 80 this week.
• HB 163, sponsored by Rep. Sharon Cooper, directs Georgia’s Medicaid program to adopt “express lane” eligibility for kids who qualify for Medicaid coverage. The change would make it easier for uninsured Georgia kids who already qualify for Medicaid to enroll and stay covered. The House passed HB 163 earlier this month and the Senate Health and Human Services Committee approved it this week.
• SB 172, sponsored by Sen. Gloria Butler, would allow Georgia to fully expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Georgia is one of only 12 states that continues to reject federal money to cover low-income adults. Medicaid expansion would cover more than 500,000 Georgians. SB 172 has not yet been considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Voices for Health Justice is a new initiative led by Community Catalyst, Community Change, and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The focus of this initiative is to develop and strengthen engagement in health advocacy through grassroots organizing, racial justice, and anti-racism.

In the Georgia Voices for Health Justice project, GHF and our project partners at Georgia Equality and the New Georgia Project will work with Black and brown community members in Southwest Georgia.  Using a leadership development model, community members will learn health advocacy and organizing skills so they are prepared to lead effective community-driven advocacy that improves health outcomes and builds racial equity.

Check out this press release from Community Catalyst to learn more about this project and look for updates from GHF and our partners as we begin this exciting work.

When you give to GHF, you guarantee that our organization can effectively organize and amplify the voices of Georgia health care consumers now and in the future!
Donors to GHF can now use our new donor self-service portal (just below our existing donation form) to manage your donations, and update your payment and contact information. Your supporter account makes it easier for you to ensure your gifts are having the biggest impact at GHF. Thank you for your support and for helping GHF make a difference!
Not yet a donor to GHF? You can give a one-time or monthly donation here!