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In The News
Georgians for a Healthy Future is frequently cited in news articles about health care issues, ensuring the consumer perspective is heard. Read news stories featuring Georgians for a Healthy Future’s perspective below.
2016
“[Georgians] have responded by enrolling themselves and their families in health insurance because it meets a basic need for financial protection and access to the health care system. That need isn’t going to go away.’’
When it comes to reducing the number of uninsured Georgians the state can’t do much, said Cindy Zeldin with Georgians for a Healthy Future; it needs federal money. “Because one thing that we do know is that this is difficult to impossible to address only at the state level and only with state money,” Zeldin said.
Cindy Zeldin, executive director of consumer group Georgians for a Healthy Future, said interstate sales “would erode rights and protections for health care consumers, complicate their efforts to find in-network providers, and do little to nothing to improve affordability.’’
“Enrollment is still really strong, and people still need coverage,’’ said Cindy Zeldin, executive director of Georgians for a Healthy Future, a consumer advocacy group that supports the Affordable Care Act. Creating the exchange, she said, was a “major undertaking” by HHS, state insurance commissioners and health care stakeholders. “Unwinding that is not as easy as pressing a button or signing something into law.”
“It’s a time of uncertainty,” said Cindy Zeldin, the director of advocacy group Georgians for a Healthy Future. “We can’t go back. It would be devastating to consumers, to our economy and to our health system.”
“At the end of the day in Georgia, if we rip coverage away from half a million people and lose the opportunity to extend it to more, we’re still going to have to come up with ways to address having high numbers of uninsured with limited access to care, ” she said. “And we’ll have to do it with less resources, and that will only compound it for us at the state level.”
“It’s too soon to know precisely what policy changes will occur and what their impact will be, but advocacy at both the state and federal levels on behalf of Georgians who need access to quality, affordable health care has never been more important.”
“It’s really important for consumers to start that process now of looking at the range of options, exploring the tax credits, and accessing free in-person local help if they can to navigate through this,” Zeldin said.
A legislative panel heard testimony Wednesday on ideas for reducing the high number of uninsured people in Georgia through alternatives to a standard Medicaid expansion.