Feb 17, 2016 “The bill may not get very far this year, with time running out in the General Assembly session and without the fiscal impact yet studied. But a Senate health committee broke new ground Wednesday by holding a legislative hearing on a proposal, Senate Bill 368, that would create a Medicaid expansion alternative in Georgia. The panel’s discussion of the plan represents what experts say is the first time that a bill to pursue expansion or an expansion-like alternative has actually gained a hearing at the General Assembly since the Affordable Care Act was passed by Congress in 2010…”

Feb 5, 2016

“More than 580,000 Georgians signed up for coverage in the insurance exchange during the third open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act, federal health officials said Thursday. The total of 587,845 during the signup period, which ended Jan. 31, was a 9 percent increase over last year’s Georgia total of 536,929 at the end of open enrollment..”

Feb 3, 2016

“Medicaid expansion may be dead for the year, but there appears to be bipartisan cooperation on other health policy issues…”

Feb 3, 2016

“Forty one percent of privately insured Georgia residents received a surprise medical bill where their health plan paid less than expected in the past two years, according to a new representative survey of 407 Georgia residents by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. Of those that received a surprise medical bill, 11 percent were charged at an out-of-network rate when they thought a provider was in-network…”

Jan 29, 2016

“We’ve been very busy,” said Pranay Rana, a consumer education specialist in Atlanta with the nonprofit group Georgians for a Healthy Future. Enrollment help will be available over the weekend at a variety of locations, he said, including community centers and churches…”

Jan 14, 2016

“A bipartisan panel of state lawmakers voiced agreement Thursday on at least a couple of health care issues. Support for a higher cigarette tax, and for the emerging trend of ambulance crews treating people in their homes rather than in ERs were two areas of general unanimity on the panel, at an event sponsored by the group Georgians for a Healthy Future. But as expected, there was sharp division among the four legislators on the panel when it came to the issue of expanding the state’s Medicaid program…”

Jan 4, 2016

“Most people who purchase health insurance through Georgia’s ACA-created exchange get a subsidy or tax credit to defray the cost. But Godfrey, as a small business owner, had too high an income to qualify for that discount. So he looked outside the exchange and bought his policy there.

Godfrey, 41, said Platinum suited his plans. “We were considering having a baby’’ at the time, he said, and the year before they’d had some unexpected medical costs…”

Dec 30, 2015

“Finally, I want to call attention to the lobbyists who work for nonprofit organizations that try to help children and low-income families. These people don’t have the resources that corporate lobbyists do, which means they can’t afford to wine and dine legislators at fancy Atlanta restaurants.

What they can do is persuade lawmakers to put some money in the budget for programs that clean up the environment and help families who don’t have health insurance or who struggle to obtain food and shelter…”

Dec 22, 2015

“Cindy Zeldin of consumer group Georgians for a Healthy Future added that while there is still work to do to sign up as many Georgians as possible, “these robust enrollment figures demonstrate that we are on a good path toward that outcome…”

Dec 18, 2015

“The future of Obamacare remains cloudy as a major health insurer considers bailing on a pivotal program of the health reform law…”