Peach Pulse Archives
Partner Up! For Public Health Campaign Now Underway
On July 14th, a public awareness and advocacy campaign was launched to educate policymakers and the public about the vital role that our state’s public health system plays in prevention, food safety, halting the spread of infectious disease, and other key aspects of population health. After nearly a decade of funding cuts, Georgia’s per capita spending on public health is about four cents a day, among the lowest in the nation. Georgians for a Healthy Future is one of thirty organizations represented on the campaign’s advisory board. To learn more and to get involved, visit www.togetherwecandobetter.com.Public Health Commission Begins its Work
The first meeting of the Public Health Commission was held on Monday, July 12th. As part of the legislation that reorganized the Department of Human Resources, a Public Health Commission was created to examine whether the interests of the state are best served with the Division of Public Health being a part of the Department of Community Health, an attached agency, a completely separate agency or a part of some other organization. The Georgia Public Health Association is monitoring the meetings and providing ongoing information about the Commission’s progress on its website. More information about the Commission and its members is also available on the Department of Community Health’s website. The Commission will meet once a month and meetings are open to the public. The next meeting is scheduled for August 9th at 8:30am. The Commission’s report is due December 1, 2010.What’s New in Georgia:
Budget Crisis Continues: Senators Still Need to Hear from Advocates
Governor Perdue has ordered Georgia agencies, with the exception of K-12 schools, to cut their budgets by another 4 percent starting in August. Georgia had been relying on Congress to pass an extension of the enhanced matching funds for Medicaid that the state was receiving as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, known as FMAP, when the Legislature and the Governor approved the FY 2011 budget. Those enhanced funds would have brought in about $375 million to the state. Without the enhanced FMAP, Georgia may have to make cuts to essential health care services for our most vulnerable families or cut reimbursement rates to providers, potentially limiting access to care and further harming our state’s fragile economy. Please call Senator Isakson at (202) 224-3643 and Senator Chambliss at (202) 224-3521 and urge them to support an extension of the enhanced FMAP.Special Tax Council Takes Aim at Changing Tax System
The first meeting of the Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness was held on Wednesday, July 28th. The Council was created by the Georgia Legislature to study the tax system and provide recommendations to the General Assembly in January 2011. The council will consider information from economists and from the public, according to remarks made at the initial meeting yesterday. The work of the council provides an opportunity for consumers and advocates to weigh in. As an alliance member of 2020 Georgia, Georgians for a Healthy Future supports a balanced approach to state budget and revenue solutions that can meet the short and long-term needs of our state and its people, including vital health services for Georgians. Information about the council can be found here.The Battle for a Smokefree Savannah Heats Up!
The Savannah City Council has begun public discussion on the Healthy Savannah proposal to make all workplaces and places open to the public smoke-free. Council members plan two public meetings before the introduction and first reading on August 12. The proposed ordinance seeks to eliminate problematic exceptions in state law, and includes: • All workplaces • Outdoor eating areas in restaurants • All Bars and Restaurants • Long-term care facilities • Private and semi-private rooms in health care facilities • International airports • Convention facilities • Private clubs • Retail tobacco stores • Distances 15 to 20 feet from the entrance to any public building The measure is supported by many health organizations under the umbrella of Healthy Savannah. Healthy Savannah is a great example of a community based health program. They address a myriad of issues that are barriers to a healthy lifestyle. The Mayor of Savannah, Otis Johnson, has endorsed the ordinance, saying it is an important step in protecting those who, like him, have heart conditions or other health risks aggravated by exposure to secondhand smoke. If you know advocates in Savannah who would lend their support, please encourage them to contact the American Lung Association at jdeen@lungga.org.The Affordable Care Act and You:
84% of Small Businesses in Georgia Eligible for New Health Care Tax Credits
Beginning this year, as part of the new health care law, small businesses that employ 25 or fewer workers, have average wages of less than $50,000, and contribute at least 50 percent of each employee’s health insurance premium are eligible for a tax credit to help with the cost of employee health insurance premiums. The tax credits are worth up to 35 percent of the employer’s cost for employee coverage, and the amount of the tax credit depends on firm size and average wage, with the smallest, lowest-wage firms receive the largest tax credits. In Georgia, more than 120,000 small businesses–or 84 percent of all small businesses operating in our state–are eligible for the tax credit in 2010, according to a study released last week by Families USA and the Small Business Majority. Further, about 37,500 small businesses in Georgia qualify for the full 35 percent tax credit. A tax credit calculator is available here, and detailed FAQs about how the tax credit works are available here. Read the full report here.Non-Profit Hospitals and Their Roles in Communities
Until recently, neither federal nor state governments clearly laid out expectations for hospitals around charity care and the requirements for maintaining their non-profit status. As a consequence, it has been hard for patients to understand what services are available to them when they need care they cannot afford. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) clarifies the role of non-profit hospitals and their committment to the communities they serve. For more information on the specific provisions of the ACA, see the fact sheet created by national nonprofit organization Community Catalyst: Non-Profit Hospitals: Providing Essential Benefits to Local Communities. The IRS issued a call for comments on these provisions, asking for input on the need for additional guidance to non-profit hospitals on how to fulfill the new requirements. Consumer advocates weighed in with many recommendations that included: 1) Setting standards for financial assistance policies that guarantee effective notification practices, fair and transparent application procedures, and eligibility criteria that reflect the needs of the hospital’s community; 2) Protecting consumers from harmful debt collection practices; 3) Clarifying what hospitals can charge their patients for care; and 4) Clarifying that hospitals must consult with consumer advocates and members of the communities they serve when conducting community needs assessments. During the month of August, Georgia’s Congressional Delegation will be home for back in the state for their August Recess. So that the final rule ensures that you can depend on nonprofit hospitals to deliver the care you need on fair terms, at an affordable price that is accessible to all, please contact your Congressman to make sure they are playing a leadership role to make health care more affordable for all Georgians. To stay updated on this issue, visit the Georgia Watch website.New Rules Regarding Preventive Services Unveiled Last Week
Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services issued new rules relating to preventive care services. Under the new regulations, new health plans beginning on or after September 23, 2010, must cover preventive services that have proven evidence-based health benefits, and these plans may no longer charge a patient a co-payment, coinsurance or deductible for these services when they are delivered by a network provider. Services that will now be covered include: blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol tests; many cancer screenings; routine vaccinations; pre-natal care; and regular wellness visits for infants and children. For more detailed information about these new provisions, visit the HHS web portal to learn more. MORE >FMAP and the Looming Budget Crisis in Georgia
The economy is still in a fragile state and all across the country states are struggling to balance budgets and still provide for their citizens. Here in Georgia, it is no different. Governor Purdue’s FY 2011 budget was balanced in large part based on the assumption of a continuation of enhanced FMAP for an additional six months. Provisions were enacted through last year’s Recovery Act to enhance the Federal match dollars to protect state Medicaid programs at a time of crisis. The crisis was two-fold, for individual families and as fiscal relief to states. The enhanced FMAP was used to help keep state budgets afloat and to maintain vital health services to children and families at a point where much assistance was needed. To date, no FMAP extension has been approved by Congress which places our state in a dangerous position. Without an extension of the enhanced FMAP through the end of our 2011 State Fiscal Year, Georgia is short at least $375 million dollars.
Advocates must make their voices heard to get the FMAP extension passed very soon. Take Action Today! Call Senator Isakson and Senator Chambliss and urge them to support their constituents in Georgia and to extend the enhanced FMAP. Their support will maintain our state’s commitment to providing coverage and health service access to vulnerable Georgians through Medicaid.
Update on the Babies Born Healthy Program
Effective June 7th, the Department of Community Health ceased operations of the Babies Born Healthy Program, which provides prenatal care to women who are at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level, ineligible for Medicaid, and otherwise uninsured or underinsured. The Department of Community Health recently released a letter explaining this decision, which is available for download here, and an FAQ on the decision, available for download here. Since the program has closed, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia, which operates a Powerline program to connect women in need of services with those health care services, is working to locate low-cost prenatal resources across the state of Georgia. If you are aware of low-cost prenatal services in your community, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies would like to be able to share that information with the women who call the Powerline. Please contact Pam Gaston, Executive Director of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, with this information.
WHAT’S NEW IN GEORGIA
New Report on Metro Atlanta Hospitals
Only about half of metropolitan Atlanta’s hospitals comply with state regulations to advertise the availability of financial assistance, according to a report released in June by Georgia Watch. These findings are the result of an 18-month study through the organization’s Metropolitan Atlanta Hospital Accountability Project, or HAP, which focuses on financial aid programs for low-income, uninsured and underinsured patients at general hospitals in the 21-county metro area. For this project, Georgia Watch representatives visited all hospitals studied to see if signage was posted advertising the availability of free or reduced cost care, and if financial assistance policies were made available to the public. In addition, the HAP team surveyed 900 low-income, uninsured, or underinsured individuals about their financial experiences at area hospitals. Using publicly-available information, HAP compared and contrasted hospitals throughout the metro area in regards to their offerings for these vulnerable populations, and analyzed the specific barriers and challenges these populations face. You can read the report at GeorgiaWatch.org.
New Poll Reveals Cancer Patients Struggle to Afford Health Care and Pay Bills in Tough Economic Times
A new American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network(ACS CAN) poll of families affected by cancer shows that cancer patients, survivors and their families continue to struggle to afford health care and pay for other basic needs such as food and heat in the troubled economy. The findings suggest the need to implement the Affordable Care Act so that it benefits people with cancer.
The poll finds that nearly half of cancer patients and survivors under age 65 have had difficulty paying for health care costs such as health insurance premiums, co-pays and prescription drugs in the past two years. One-third of those currently in active treatment have had to delay some type of health care in the past year. To learn more about the poll, take a look at the ACS Press Release and the Lake-Bellweather Poll Report.
The Commish: The Race for Insurance Commission is On
Georgia’s Insurance Commissioner is responsible for regulating insurers and enforcing consumer protections in health insurance. As many features of the new health care law begin to take effect, the Insurance Commissioner will have new watchdog and enforcement responsibilities over health insurance. On June 25, the Atlanta Press Club hosted several candidate debates in advance of the July 20th primary elections, one of which was between candidates for the office of Insurance Commissioner. Georgia Public Broadcasting has the video on its website now of the Republican primary debate. There was no debate in the Democratic primary because that race is uncontested. There were several questions about health insurance regulation and the new health care law. The video is available here.
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND YOU
The Pre-Existing Conditions Insurance Plan and Web Portal are Live!
An important reform of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act takes effect July 1 when Georgians who have been without health coverage for at least six months and who have been denied coverage because of pre-existing health conditions will be given access to affordable, quality coverage. They will receive it through a new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).To find the new coverage available in Georgia and information about the complete range of health coverage options available for consumers by ZIP code through a website set up by HHS, see http://www.healthcare.gov
The HHS Web site and other information about the new program will be available on July 1. The new website is the first to provide consumers and small businesses with information about private insurance, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Medicare, and other coverage options in one place. Federal officials are emphasizing that the PCIP is not the long-term solution to the insurance industry’s practice of denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions; instead, it will serve as a bridge to 2014, when the reform law bans denials of coverage based on pre-existing conditions.
State-Level Implementation and Insurance Regulation: New Resources from the NAIC
Over the next several years, state Insurance Commissioners will play an important role in implementing the new federal health care law. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners, comprised of health insurance regulators across the 50 states, is charged with several standard-setting and consultative responsibilities and now has a special section on its website dedicated to state insurance regulation and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Among other things, the site includes information about potential funding opportunities for states through PPACA, a glossary of health care terms, and information about the new high-risk pools, now known as the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP).
New Reports and Resources
A new series of issue briefs released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation walks through the effect on state governments, children, young adults, seniors, health outcomes, and premiums. The series is available for download here. The Georgetown Center for Children and Families also released a new report outlining key decisions for states in the implementation of the new law. That report is available for download here. For Georgia-specific information, the Health Policy Center at Georgia State University has a fact sheet on the implications of health reform in Georgia, which is available for download here.
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