Peach Pulse Archive 2026
What’s Inside This Month’s Peach Pulse
This month, we are thanking everyone who joined us at the One Nation, Overcharged popsicle stand and Ice Cream Festival stops — helping GHF mark one year of a federal law that has made coverage harder to afford. We are also spotlighting an innovative model for health and housing in Atlanta, and inviting you to join the fight for a health care system that works for everyone.
- Save the Date: Join us September 9 at City Winery Atlanta for our Celebration of Progress and Possibilities 2026.
- One Nation, Overcharged:
- Thank You for Showing Up: A look back at this month’s summer treat and engagement events.
- Take the Next Step: Join our virtual rally on the health care affordability crisis, Thursday, August 20 at 6:00 PM.
- Read, Reflect, Act: GHF’s Latest Publications and Resources:
- A New Model for Health and Housing: How Mercy Care and Pennrose built affordable housing alongside a health clinic in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood, and what it means for communities in Georgia.
- One Year Into a Worsening Affordability Crisis: Since H.R. 1 became law, more than 500,000 Georgians have lost or dropped their Marketplace health coverage.
- GHF’s Comments to DCH on the New Medicaid Work Requirement: GHF submitted comments raising concerns about gaps in the state’s proposed rules ahead of the August 13 board vote.
- Share Your Story: Share your experiences with GHF and Families USA before the September 15 deadline.
- GHF in the News: Recent coverage on Georgia’s Medicaid expansion debate and a PolitiFact fact check featuring GHF’s work.
Save the Date: Celebration of Progress and Possibilities 2026
This September, GHF is gathering our community to celebrate recent wins and look boldly at what is still possible for health care in Georgia.
Join us for GHF’s Celebration of Progress and Possibilities 2026 on Wednesday, September 9, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at City Winery Atlanta. This year’s event features something new: Pitch for Progress, a live pitch competition where community finalists present their boldest policy ideas for making health care more affordable and accessible in Georgia.
Attendance is free, with a suggested donation of $25 or more.
One Nation, Overcharged
Thank You for Showing Up
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This month, you showed up to make a difference. The One Nation, Overcharged events at the Chill the Charges truck stop and the Atlanta Ice Cream & Wellness Festival brought together advocates, neighbors, and community members across Georgia to push back against rising health care costs. Whether you stopped by for a free popsicle, shared your story, or helped spread the word, you are part of this movement. Thank you for being there.
Follow us on social media to stay up to date on what is coming next.
Take the Next Step
Join us Thursday, August 20 at 6:00 PM for a virtual rally on the health care affordability crisis. Georgians for a Healthy Future and One Nation, Overcharged are hosting this event to bring community members together to hold health care corporations accountable and push for affordable, equitable care for all Georgians.
Whether you have struggled with medical bills, faced high insurance premiums, or simply believe Georgians deserve better, your voice matters. Register today to join us.
Read, Reflect, Act: GHF’s Latest Publications & Resources
A New Model for Health and Housing
Housing is health care. In GHF’s newest report, McAuley Station: A Health-Housing Partnership Model, we highlight the partnership and policies that enabled Mercy Care and Pennrose to build affordable housing right next to Mercy Care’s clinic. Located in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood, the development includes 10 respite units for patients and 30 permanent supportive housing studios. The report lays out concrete policy recommendations that could help other Georgia health systems replicate the model, from rental debt relief to streamlined master lease rules. The report calls it “a recipe, not a unicorn.”
One Year Into a Worsening Affordability Crisis
One year after H.R. 1 became federal law, Georgia families are feeling the strain. More than 500,000 Georgians have dropped their marketplace coverage, due in part to rising premiums. The federal government has finalized new guidance that goes even further than the law itself, sharply restricting who qualifies as exempt from Medicaid work reporting requirements and likely forcing severely ill individuals to navigate complex paperwork systems to get or keep their coverage.
A lesser known provision makes the picture even more serious: starting in October, federal eligibility changes will cut coverage for some lawfully present immigrants, including refugees, asylees, and survivors of domestic violence and trafficking.
Nine organizations, including GHF, signed a new joint press release documenting these harms.
“Access to health care is essential for community health, workforce participation, and family stability.”
Laura Colbert, Executive Director, Georgians for a Healthy Future
GHF’s Comments to DCH on the New Medicaid Work Requirement
Earlier this month, GHF submitted comments to the Georgia Department of Community Health on the state’s plan to implement Medicaid’s new work reporting requirement under H.R. 1.
Our comments raise concerns about gaps in the state’s proposed rules, including who qualifies for a health exemption and how the state plans to notify people who could lose coverage.
DCH’s board is expected to vote on the rule on August 13.
Your Story Can Protect Health Care in Georgia
Your experience matters. If Medicaid changes, premium increases, or hospital cuts have affected you or someone you know, we want to hear from you. Georgians for a Healthy Future and Families USA are collecting stories to share with policymakers, the press, and the public. Submit your story before the September 15 deadline.
GHF in the News
Catch up on recent media coverage featuring GHF’s work, team, and storytellers:
- PeachPol | July 5, 2026: Why did Georgia never expand Medicaid?
- PolitiFact | July 16, 2026: Did Mike Collins help double health insurance premiums for 1 million Georgians?
- Georgia Recorder | July 28, 2026: Advocates puzzled after HIV is left off of Georgia’s ‘medically frail’ list for Medicaid work rules
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