Nov 6, 2019 Laura Colbert, director of Georgians for a Healthy Future, said, “If there are really 408,000 people who could qualify for coverage and in five years the majority of those people are not expected to be covered, then there’s something wrong with the plan”

Nov 5, 2019

“While every additional person who gains coverage is an important victory, this plan leaves too many Georgians uninsured. Georgia leaders should set aside partisan ideas that have failed in other states and instead pursue an evidence-based solution,” said Laura Colbert, Executive Director at Georgians for a Healthy Future. “Study after study demonstrates that Medicaid expansion results in improved health outcomes for adults who get covered, fewer financial struggles and more stable housing for low-income families, and stronger finances for community health centers and rural hospitals. Georgians deserve a healthier, financially vibrant future. Unfortunately, this plan does not move the state in that direction.”

Nov 4, 2019

The idea reminded Laura Colbert, the director of Georgians for a Healthy Future, of the same activity requirements that were stymied by federal judges in other states.

“Those plans don’t work for the people that need coverage,” Colbert said. “If there are really 408,000 people who could qualify for coverage and in five years the majority of those people are not expected to be covered, then there’s something wrong with the plan.”

Nov 4, 2019

Laura Colbert, executive director of Georgians for a Healthy Future, said imposing work requirements in exchange for Medicaid coverage in other states has resulted in fewer people enrolling in the program.

Nov 4, 2019

Opponents say the plan will only cover a sliver of Georgia’s uninsured and could water down insurance plan requirements.

“This plan still leaves thousands of Georgians uninsured,” said Laura Colbert, with Georgians for a Healthy Future. “Our concern is that every Georgian has a pathway to coverage, and this plan does not do that.”

Colbert says work requirements are only a barrier, and there is no date showing that they help get people employment or better-paying jobs.

“The only impact of a work requirement is to disenroll people or keep them from enrolling in the first place,” she said.

Nov 1, 2019

But others were quick to caution that the proposal appeared to help insurers more than consumers.

“Under this plan, Georgia families and individuals who want comprehensive health coverage may end up paying more, Georgians will have a more difficult time shopping for insurance, and consumers will be at a disadvantage when selecting the plan that’s right for them,” Laura Colbert, executive director of Georgians for a Healthy Future, said in a statement.

“The administration’s plan tips the balance of power in health care toward insurers and away from consumers,” Colbert said. “Each part of this plan helps insurance companies, while consumers shoulder all the risks.”

Oct 31, 2019

Abandoning the website worries consumer advocates, such as Laura Colbert with Georgians For a Healthy Future.

“Healthcare.gov is actually a really important platform. It provides an unbiased central location for people to compare plans across carriers, and there’s no bias or preference about one carrier or another,” she said.

Colbert worries third-party brokers will steer consumers into plans that might not be as comprehensive as what’s available on the exchange.

Oct 31, 2019

Some advocates worry that customers might assume they’re purchasing plans that cover a broad array of health benefits when they’re not.

“Some of these plans that don’t offer full essential health benefits, their marketing is very confusing,” said Laura Colbert, the director of Georgians for a Healthy Future. “I would worry a lot that consumers would buy a plan that doesn’t actually work for them.”

Oct 2, 2019

Laura Colbert of the consumer advocacy group Georgians for a Healthy Future, asked to comment on the survey results, said Wednesday that the combination of rising premiums and growing deductibles “is really troubling for Georgia workers.”

“They are unfairly bearing the brunt of an ever-more-expensive health care system,” Colbert said. “This is especially problematic for lower wage workers and likely to exacerbate health disparities between low- and high- income Georgians.  If Georgia workers are going to find any relief, it is imperative that costs across the health care system are meaningfully addressed by health care providers, insurers and policymakers, with direct input from consumers.”

Sep 29, 2019

Laura Colbert, executive director for advocacy group Georgians for a Healthy Future, said she is not surprised by the numbers.

“We have seen some indications that people have been losing or dropping their coverage over the last year or so,” Colbert told CNHI, “so the number confirmed what we thought had been happening.”