Peach Pulse Archive 2025

• Medicaid Turns 60, But Its Future Is Under Threat: New federal policy changes are already affecting Medicaid in Georgia, putting coverage and access at risk for almost 2 million Georgians.
• Marketplace Discounts Are Set to Expire: Enhanced tax credits that help 1.4 million Georgians afford health insurance could disappear at the end of the year.
• Save the Date: A Night to Celebrate Progress & Possibilities. Join us on September 11 for an inspiring event honoring Georgia’s health advocacy efforts and the community behind them.
• Share Your Story, Your Experience Matters: Whether you’ve used Medicaid, Georgia Pathways, or Georgia Access, your story can help inform better policies and protect health care for others.

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Today, more than 2 million Georgians rely on Medicaid. That includes:

• Children
• Pregnant and postpartum people
• People with disabilities
• Older adults
• And adults with very low incomes

Medicaid also helps fund services at Georgia’s hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and local clinics. It’s a lifeline for families — and for our health care system as a whole.

But this legacy program is now under real threat.

The recently passed federal budget legislation has made significant changes to how Medicaid works. These changes are already affecting states like Georgia. Here’s what that means:

• Less federal support over time: The federal government is gradually lowering how much money it gives states for Medicaid. That means Georgia may have to pay more out of its own budget — or start cutting back on services, staff, or coverage.
• More red tape for state agencies and families: The law now requires states to do more paperwork, more frequent eligibility checks, and stricter tracking of people’s income and work activity. But it doesn’t provide funding or staff to help manage all that extra work. For Georgia (where Medicaid applications already take weeks or even months to process), this will likely lead to even more delays and denials.
• Work requirements will expand nationally despite Georgia’s poor results: The new federal law requires states to implement work reporting requirements for their Medicaid programs. Georgia is the only state that is currently implementing such a requirement for Medicaid, and it has not gone well. As of June 30th, just over 8,000 people have successfully enrolled in Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage program since it launched two years ago. State leaders claimed the program could enroll 30,000 Georgians in the first year, but complicated applications, strict work rules, and narrow eligibility have kept most people out. Continuing with Georgia’s failed experiment will just trap uninsured Georgians in a carousel of unnecessary government hurdles.

As we celebrate Medicaid’s 60th birthday, we’re reminded of just how much it has done for our families and our state — and how much it still needs our protection.

These threats aren’t going unnoticed. The Cover Georgia Coalition has been closely tracking these harmful changes and pushing back to protect Medicaid coverage, funding, and access for Georgians. The coalition brings together advocates, community leaders, and everyday Georgians who believe health care should be available to all Georgians, no matter their income, zip code, or job status.

Ready to take action? Click here to let your members of Congress know how you feel about their vote on HR1! (If they voted to approve the bill (like all of Georgia’s House Republicans did), let them know that you won’t forget this vote. If they voted against the bill, tell them thank you!)

If these tax credits expire at the end of the year — which is what’s currently planned — monthly costs could rise by hundreds or even thousands of dollars for many families. (If you buy your coverage through Georgia Access or the ACA, try out this calculator to see how your premiums might change.)

As many as 690,000 Georgians could lose their coverage as they are forced to choose between paying for insurance or other basic needs like rent, groceries, or child care. We recently shared a blog that breaks down these changes. Check it out here. 

Congress still has time to protect us from these cost increases! Click here to urge Congress to extend these tax credits!

Celebration of Progress & Possibilities 2025

• Thursday, September 11, 2025
• 7:00 – 9:00 PM
• Bona Fide Deluxe, 1454 La France Street NE, Ste 110, Atlanta, GA 30307

This annual event brings together advocates, partners, volunteers, and supporters who help shape a healthier Georgia. Since 2008, GHF has worked shoulder-to-shoulder with community members and advocates to transform challenges into opportunities and turn awareness into action.

Attendance is free, and we suggest a donation of $20 or more if you’re able. Your support powers our advocacy, sustains our momentum, and helps us continue creating possibilities for a healthier future.

Want to make an even deeper impact?

Become an event sponsor! Sponsorships start at just $300, and sponsors will be recognized during the program for their generous support of GHF’s mission.

We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

We want to hear from Georgians who’ve recently:

• Applied for Medicaid or Georgia Pathways
• Struggled to get covered or faced delays
• Used Georgia Access but had trouble affording a plan
• Lost health coverage and aren’t sure what to do next

Your voice matters. We’re collecting stories to help shine a light on how recent health care changes are affecting real Georgians, and to advocate for policies that work better for everyone.

Click here to share your story or forward this link to a friend or loved one who may want to speak up.

Your support powers this work, {{FirstName or ‘Friend’}}. Thank you for standing with us!

Donate today to fuel our fight for health care justice in Georgia.