 APRIL 2022 |
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GEORGIANS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES:
HELP GHF IMPROVE HOUSING & SUPPORT SERVICES! |
| Join GHF’s housing leadership group now!
Georgians for a Healthy Future is looking for people with developmental disabilities (DD) and family members/caregivers of people with DD to help lead a new project. The project, funded by the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, aims to improve housing and support services for Georgians with DD by researching current barriers to housing and potential policy solutions to address these barriers.
Leadership group members will help direct the project. Your input will ensure that the research is accessible and representative of Georgians with DDs. Members will help decide what we ask Georgians with DD about housing, help GHF interpret the survey results, and share the results with their communities.
Each member will be asked to participate in one 2-hour meeting per month. The meetings will begin in May 2022 and end in spring 2023. Each member will receive $25 for every meeting they attend.
If you think you would be a good fit for the leadership group, please fill out this form to learn more. If you know someone that you think would be a good fit, please share! |
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IT’S TIME FOR A STATE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT IN GEORGIA
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| GHF joins the Georgia Work Credit coalition to advocate for an EITC
In March, GHF joined the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute for the Georgia Work Credit virtual rally. The event helped Georgians learn more about the state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and why Georgia needs one. GHF enthusiastically participated because a state EITC can provide real health benefits for Georgia families!
An EITC is a public health intervention that boosts incomes and health outcomes for working people earning low wages. Income strongly predicts health outcomes, especially among those living at or below the poverty level. Given the important and lasting impact of poverty on health, policies such as the EITC can have an impact that goes beyond finances to improve health and reduce disparities.
The EITC improves health among low-income children and families by increasing access to care for mothers and infants, lowering stress about money, and improving nutrition.
Learn about the health impacts of this tax credit and what you can do to advocate for an EITC in Georgia on our blog!
- Individuals: connect with the Georgia Work Credit coalition at georgiaworkcredit.org.
- Organizations: Georgians for a Healthy Future is recruiting a diverse group of health organizations and entities to support advocacy efforts for an EITC in Georgia. Please contact Knetta Adkins, Organizing Manager, kadkins@healthyfuturega.org for more information.
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| Celebrate more Medicaid for moms!
This month, we’re celebrating a Medicaid win for Georgia moms and babies! On April 4th, the Georgia General Assembly gave a final thumbs up for SB 338, a bill that allows new mothers to stay covered by Medicaid for 12 months (up from 6 months) after birth or miscarriage. Join us in saying “Thank You!”
Our lawmakers could expand Medicaid to cover other Georgians who remain without access to health care. Almost half a million (490,000) Georgians are not able to meaningfully access Georgia’s health care system because our state has not expanded Medicaid to all low-income, uninsured adults. Some of these adults are the same moms who will be covered by Medicaid during and just after their pregnancies. Our state leaders have the option to fix this problem, just as they’ve dedicated themselves to improving maternal health.
Celebrate Medicaid Awareness Month with us by thanking legislators for their leadership on Medicaid for moms and ask them to make another Medicaid move! Please take a minute to complete this thank you note to state leaders. Thank you! |
| We need public health and public health needs us!
Our state’s public health system and workforce is fundamental to the health and well-being of Georgians—as we’ve all learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last two years, Georgia’s public health workers and agencies have heroically responded to a global crisis by focusing on our health and well-being, and they did it without adequate support, resources, or staff. This monumental response effort has left public health weak and in need of attention. That’s why GHF and our partners are kicking off an initiative to support, invest, and rebuild public health in Georgia! Join us and say “YES” to public health here!
Show your support for public health in Georgia today! Stand with GHF, our partners, and Georgians across the state as we advocate for a strong, resilient public health system and workforce. With your support, we can build the public health system and workforce that Georgians need and deserve—one that is grounded in science, built on partnerships, and focused on results!
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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. |
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