Nov 10, 2016 “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.”

Nov 9, 2016

“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.”

Oct 25, 2016

“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.

Oct 5, 2016

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.

Sep 27, 2016

“We have a lot of work to do to bring in people who aren’t in it yet,” Colbert said. “Many of them are eligible for tax credits and financial assistance and don’t know they are.” But even if all of those signed up, Georgia would still face a significant coverage gap of 300,000 people who do not currently qualify for Medicaid coverage or the Marketplace. “Most of them are working in low-income jobs that do not provide benefits,” Colbert said.

Sep 13, 2016

Cindy Zeldin of Georgians for a Healthy Future pointed to the impact of expansion on coverage rates. “The success of other states around the country, including Southern states like Kentucky and Arkansas, in driving their uninsured rates down below 10 percent shows that we can do it too.” she said. “Closing the coverage gap in Georgia would help put us on this path.”

Sep 12, 2016

“Consumers who live in states that have expanded Medicaid are seeing lower-cost marketplace plans than consumers in states that have not expanded,” said Laura Colbert, director of outreach and partnerships for Georgians for a Healthy Future, an advocacy group that supports the ACA. “Georgia’s decision not to close its coverage gap may have had a negative effect on marketplace enrollment, thus undercutting the success of insurance carriers in the state and influencing their decisions to participate in Georgia’s marketplace.”

Sep 7, 2016

Cindy Zeldin, executive director of Georgians for a Healthy Future and head of the Cover Georgia coalition, called the task force’s options “a strong starting point.” She added: “We look forward to a statewide conversation in the coming months about the best approach to ensure all Georgians have a pathway to coverage and access to care.”

Aug 31, 2016

A widely anticipated plan to reduce the number of Georgians without health coverage, unveiled Wednesday, takes a unique, conservative approach to Medicaid expansion. The plan, created by a health care task force, contains three proposals with differing eligibility standards and designs. The group’s leaders said Wednesday that they hope the options will serve as a kick start for discussion this fall and into next year’s General Assembly session.

Aug 31, 2016

A health care task force created by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce released its much-anticipated report on ways the state could expand medical coverage to the uninsured Wednesday, outlining three paths for lawmakers to consider this coming legislative session.