Peach Pulse Archive 2022

Peach Pulse | ACTION ALERT, Cover GA advocacy day, 12 years of ACA, share your health care story & more!

 

MARCH 2022

LEGISLATIVE SESSION COMING TO AN END
Georgia’s 2022 legislative session ends next week!

Georgia’s 2022 legislative session is set to wrap up soon! Monday, April 4th will be the final day of session, also called “Sine Die”. You can find a full list of health-related legislation, including whether or not a bill is still awaiting a final vote, at GHF’s legislative tracker here. You can also follow the live House & Senate debates and votes at legis.ga.gov.

If you missed this week’s legislative update (or any of the legislative updates since January), catch up by visiting GHF’s blog!

What more can you do before the end of session?

Ask your Georgia state Senator to approve the Georgia Mental Health Parity Act when it comes to the floor for a vote today!

This morning, the Senate Rules committee took decisive action and restored pro-consumer, pro-recovery parity language that had been removed earlier this week. The fix restores the original intent of the Georgia Mental Health Parity Act—to expand access to mental health and substance use services for Georgians.

Now is the time! Please call or email your Senator to say why you support this bill and to ask for their strong support too.

 

COVER GEORGIA HOSTS 2022 ADVOCACY DAY FOR MEDICAID EXPANSION
On March 10, the Cover Georgia coalition hosted its 2022 advocacy day. Advocates and Georgians from across the state called, emailed, and tweeted Gov. Kemp and state legislators to let them know that Georgia can’t wait! Half a million (500,000) low-income Georgians have waited almost ten years for health coverage so they can see a doctor, get prescriptions, and take care of their health without the worry of unaffordable medical bills.  

Cover Georgia’s advocacy day also featured a discussion with small business owners and rural community members about the ways that Medicaid expansion would support small businesses, benefit rural communities, and help rural women of color access important health services. Check out their FB Live conversation here!

If you didn’t get a chance to participate in Cover Georgia’s advocacy day, it’s not too late! Join GHF and our Cover Georgia partners to call on our state leaders to take action one way or another. Our state can’t stand still on this issue any longer! Governor Kemp’s Pathways plan to cover some low-income Georgians was approved in December, but our state leaders have signaled they do not plan to implement the Republican-led plan. At the same time, they continue to refuse Medicaid expansion. Join us in calling on them to make a choice and act!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT CELEBRATES 12 YEARS!

GHF’s Deanna Williams joined U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, Region IV to celebrate 12 years of the ACA!

GHF’s health insurance navigator Deanna Williams joined over 200 Southerners in the ACA Then & Now – Anniversary event hosted by the Region IV office of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The group celebrated 12 years of advancing health coverage and health equity through the Affordable Care Act! Deanna spoke about her role as a health insurance navigator in middle Georgia and the importance of affordable, quality health insurance for all Georgians.

You can celebrate the ACA’s 12th anniversary by asking Congress to fulfill the full potential of the law! Join us in urging Congress to keep health insurance premiums affordable and creating a pathway to coverage for low-income, uninsured Southerners. In one economic package, Congress can extend the current financial help that lowers premiums for Georgia consumers and close the coverage gap for the 12 states (including Georgia) that haven’t yet expanded Medicaid. Celebrate the ACA by contact Congress today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHARE YOUR HEALTH CARE STORY!

Georgia needs to hear from you! Your story matters and we want to amplify your experiences. Our fellow Georgians and our lawmakers, need to hear about your health challenges and victories.Experiences like yours let lawmakers know what’s working, and what’s not, in our health care system. Your story shows our leaders why we need to change laws & policies so that health care is more affordable, accessible, and benefits our communities. Let our GHF team work with you to share your health care story.

We’re particularly interested in hearing from you if you are uninsured, enrolled in health insurance through healthcare.gov, have or had medical debt, or have Medicaid coverage. We welcome other stories too, so don’t be shy!

Share your story now! Write or record your story here.
GHF IN THE NEWS

Spike in mental health patients at the ER prompts local action, legislation
Augusta Chronicle | March 9, 2022

State hits Anthem with whopping fine for insurance violations
Georgia Health News | March 29, 2022

COVID-19 UPDATES IN GEORIGA

Answers to Tough Questions: Antiviral Drugs
Public Health Communications Collaborative

Public Health Communications Collaborative   answers tough questions such as “When will antiviral COVID-19 treatments be available?” and “Why should I get vaccinated when there are treatments for COVID-19?”

Answers to Tough Questions: Mask Guidance
Public Health Communications Collaborative

The Public Health Communications Collaborative answers questions on COVID-19 Community Level and mask guidance. 

Georgia health department stops weekly COVID-19 reporting for schools
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 

Georgia school districts are no longer required to submit a weekly aggregated report of COVID-19 case numbers to state health officials, marking an end to a practice that began a year and a half ago.
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