Peach Pulse Archive 2024

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As the new school year gets started, be sure your student has a smooth transition back to the classroom by checking your children’s Medicaid coverage. Since last spring, Georgia and other states have been assessing which Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids members are still eligible for their coverage.

Thousands of Georgia children have been disenrolled from Medicaid as a result. That’s why it’s important for parents to verify their kids’ coverage status now. Many Georgia kids have lost coverage because the state couldn’t get in touch with their families or there were other paperwork issues, not because they are ineligible for coverage.

Before your children head back to school, take a moment to confirm that their Medicaid coverage is active. If you discover any issues or need assistance, free, local help is available (starting here at GHF). Ensuring your children have continuous health coverage means your family can stay focused on their homework, field trips, and everything in between without costly or unnecessary disruptions.

If you, your child, or someone you know is covered by Medicaid or PeachCare for Kids (or were covered at any time since March 2020), now is the time to check your status.

1. Visit Gateway.ga.gov and log-in to your account
2. Update your contact information.
3. Check to see if you or your child’s coverage is still active.
   1. If your child’s coverage is active, great!
   2. If your child’s coverage stopped in the last three months, you may still be able to submit paperwork to belatedly renew it. You may have a Gateway message that details what actions you need to complete.
   3. If your child’s coverage stopped more than three months ago, they may still be eligible for Medicaid or PeachCare for Kids. If you or your child meet the eligibility criteria (check here!), submit a new application for coverage.

If you or someone you know needs assistance navigating a Medicaid renewal or application, support is available here.

Did you know that a new Commission of health leaders has begun meeting to explore how to improve access to care for low-income and uninsured Georgians?

Georgia’s new Comprehensive Health Coverage Commission held its first meeting last Thursday, July 25th. Established this spring by state leaders, the Commission will spend the next 18 months advising decision-makers on health care access and quality for low-income and uninsured Georgians The Cover Georgia Coalition has released a recap blog of the meeting here.

A key issue that GHF and the Cover Georgia coalition hope the Commission will address is Georgia’s health coverage gap. Closing this gap would allow nearly half a million Georgians to gain health coverage, so they can affordably go to the doctor and get medications when they’re sick.

During the Commission’s virtual kick-off meeting, members introduced themselves and outlined their areas of expertise and interest. They heard from Lynnette Rhodes, Chief Health Policy Officer at the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) about the state’s Medicaid program, enrollment trends, and the impacts of major new policies like the Medicaid unwinding, the Pathways to Coverage program, and more.

John King, Commissioner of the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire, also presented. He focused on reinsurance and the upcoming launch of Georgia Access, the new state-based exchange set to go live on November 1st. This new platform will transition Georgia off healthcare.gov and shift management of the state marketplace to the Georgia Department of Insurance. (Check out GHF’s blog here for more information.)

The Commission members discussed their own priorities and interests within the scope of the group’s charges. Chair of the Commission, Caylee Noggle, mentioned that an upcoming meeting will specifically address Georgia’s uninsured population.

You can re-watch the Commission’s meeting here, or read Cover Georgia’s full meeting summary here. If you missed it earlier, check out Cover Georgia’s statement about the Commission appointments here.

Stay tuned for more updates about the Commission’s work and opportunities for you to get involved!

One program challenge is that eligible Georgians have to jump over tedious paperwork hurdles to enroll and keep their coverage.

The slow results from Pathways’s first program year present Georgia leaders with an opportunity to learn and consider more effective options. The Cover Georgia coalition will continue to urge Governor Kemp and legislators to consider fully closing Georgia’s coverage gap.

For more information on the Pathways to Coverage program’s first year and recommendations for improvement, read the full press release from the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute and Georgians for a Healthy Future.

“Family caregivers are unwavering pillars in our health care and public health systems, enabling millions of people to live more independently, with dignity and self-determination,” said Georgians for a Healthy Future Executive Director Laura Colbert. “They are often tasked with navigating a maze of responsibilities, from performing complex medical tasks to providing daily living assistance. The fact that bridging these gaps in care is often unfamiliar territory does not prevent them from going above and beyond.”

Supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), this project is just one part of a national effort to address the unmet needs of caregivers across the country and help implement policy changes recommended by the RAISE National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers.

Collaborating with organizations across eight other states, GHF aims to bring greater recognition, support, and inclusion of caregivers into diverse communities across the country – advancing policy and practice level changes that increase awareness of caregiving issues and increase engagement of caregivers in decision-making.

This project is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $5,333,332 with 75 percentage funded by ACL/HHS and $1,333,332 amount and 25 percentage funded by non-government source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

• Now Habersham | July 12, 2024 | State Medicaid expansion plan falls short, says policy organization
• Axios Atlanta | June 1, 2024: Experts urge Georgia to reform health insurance system