Peach Pulse Archives
KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING
1,000 names is a strong showing – but we need more!
Share the above infographic with a message encouraging your social network to add their names! You can find the petition here.
DON’T MISS THESE UPCOMING EVENTS!
A Conversation with Author Mike King
July 19 6:30 – 8:30 PM
The Warren City Club
Health care advocates and friends – please join us for a book signing and conversation with Atlanta journalist Mike King, author of A Spirt of Charity: Restoring the Bond Between America and its Public Hospitals. His new book explores the role of public hospitals in our health system, weaving Georgia’s history – and the history of Grady – into this national story. In advance of the event, our executive director, Cindy Zeldin sat down with King to talk about his book. Read their conversation here.
We will provide appetizers and there will be a cash bar. This is a free event. RSVP here.
Getting Georgia Covered: How Consumer and Assister Experiences can Increase Enrollment and Inform Policy
August 16 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Sloppy Floyd Building
Please join us for our second annual enrollment summit. This year we are focusing on strengthening relationships between the health policy community and the enrollment assistance community. The summit will include speakers from the Georgetown Center for Health Insurance Reforms, Families USA, and Region IV HHS. Learn more about the agenda and RSVP here.
2016 Consumer Health Impact Awards
September 28 6:30 PM
Park Tavern
Tickets are now on sale for the 2016 Consumer Health Impact Awards! Three awards recipients have so far been revealed; join us in congratulating them!
- Community Impact Award – Carole Maddux, Executive Director, CEO of the Good Samaritan Health & Wellness Center
- Powerhouse Policymaker – Senator P.K. Martin
- Powerhouse Policymaker – House Minority Leader, Representative Stacey Abrams
OUT AND ABOUT WITH GHF
Keeping up the Drumbeat for Youth Substance Use Prevention
This June, we joined advocates from other states in Philadelphia for the Community Catalyst Substance Use Disorders Advocacy Convening. The three-day conference gave us valuable insight for the next phase of our advocacy and policy efforts to expand the use of Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) through the activation of Medicaid codes for youth. Activating Medicaid codes would allow providers to be reimbursed for the time they spend conducting SBIRT and would encourage greater use of the tool. Read more about this project and the convening here.
Peachtree Corners Festival
Georgia’s many summer festivals provide a unique opportunity for GHF and our partners to get out in the community and talk with people about how health policy impacts their lives and how they can be advocates. On June 11th and 12th, we continued our summer festival outreach with an information and education booth at the Peachtree Corners Festival. Read more about the festival and our conversations with people in the coverage gap here.
Women’s Day at Ebenezer Baptist Church
Ebenezer Baptist Church is a cornerstone of advocacy and social justice in Atlanta. On June 20th, Laura Cobert, Director of Outreach & Partnerships, was invited to join their Women’s Season celebrations to talk about the importance fo closing Georgia’s coverage gap. She spoke to a crowd fo about 60 women on a day when the theme was health and self-care. To read more about the event and Laura’s presentation, click here.
IN THE NEWS Task force aims to reshape Georgia stance on health coverage Georgia Health News| June 21 SEE MORE MORE >
HEALTH CARE UPDATES
An Important Step Towards Health Equity
On May 13, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule implementing Section 1557 of the ACA, an important milestone in the movement towards health equity. Section 1557 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in all health programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance through HHS, are administered through HHS, or are established under Title 1 of the ACA. Notably, Section 1557 marks the first time that sex discrimination in health care is prohibited and clarifies that gender identity and sex stereotyping are included in this definition. For more check out this blog post.
Yield for Consumers: Insurance Mergers in Georgia
The Georgia Department of Insurance will hold hearings this summer on proposed health insurance company mergers that, if approved as requested, could limit choice and increase costs for Georgia health care consumers. Georgia regulators have the opportunity through these hearings to assess the merits of these mergers and to place conditions on them that can mitigate negative outcomes for consumers, but advocacy is needed to accomplish this. Read on for more about mergers, how GHF plans to engage in the hearing process on behalf of Georgia health care consumers, and how you can weigh in.
#Enrollment365
The weather is heating up and the official start of summer is just around the corner, but here at GHF we’re already looking ahead to one of the hallmarks of fall: open enrollment! Earlier this spring, new renewal policies and consumer shopping tools were announced and health insurance plans released their initial rate filings, giving us early insights into what we might expect in the upcoming open enrollment period: November 1, 2016 – January 31, 2017. But while we’re busy preparing for OE4, we also know that health insurance enrollment happens year-round. Read on for more about new rules for special enrollment periods, rate filings, and how to stay up to date on all things enrollment.
THE IMPACT OF THE CONSUMER VOICE
Does a strong consumer voice make a difference in health policy outcomes? At GHF, consumer engagement is woven into each of our initiatives to bring the needs and voices of Georgia health care consumers into the public policy process. Over the past two years, one of our top priorities has been maximizing health insurance enrollment and ensuring that once enrolled, consumers can access the care they need. Our work in this area, along with that of similar efforts in seventeen states, was recently evaluated by Mathematica. The evaluation focused on the activities and outcomes of the eighteen Consumer Voices for Coverage projects funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Learn more about the evaluation findings here.
COVER GEORGIA UPDATES
Cover Georgia Spring Summit
This month, members of the Cover Georgia Coalition met for a half-day meeting to discuss what advocates can do to make sure that Georgia closes its coverage gap in 2017. If your organization is interested in joining the coalition, reach out to Laura Colbert. If you are an individual advocate who’d like to join the movement here are three ways you can get involved:
- Share an infographic on social media about the coverage gap
- Sign the petition to close the coverage gap
Join the Georgia Health Action Network to receive updates on progress and prompts to reach out to legislators, engage on social media, and other quick actions
UPCOMING EVENTS
A Conversation with Author Mike King
The Warren City Club
July 19, 2016
6:30 – 8:30 PM
Health care advocates and friends – please join GHF for a book signing and conversation with Atlanta journalist Mike King, author of A Spirit of Charity: Restoring the Bond Between America and Its Public Hospitals. His new book explores the role of public hospitals in our health system, weaving Georgia’s history – and the history of Grady – into this national story. You can read more about his book here. We look forward to an evening of lively conversation about the role of safety net hospitals here in Georgia and throughout America. We will provide a light dinner and there will be a cash bar. This is a free event. RSVP here.
Consumer Health Impact Awards
Please join us for our second annual Consumer Health Impact Awards! This event shines a spotlight on advocates, community leaders, and state policymakers working to improve health in Georgia through service and advocacy. RSVP for the event here.
We will be announcing 2016 awardees in the coming weeks – look out for that announcement!
IN THE NEWS
Some rates in Georgia insurance exchange could soar in 2017
Andy Miller, Georgia Health News
Ruling against Obamacare a win for GOP, but impact for Georgia on hold
Tamar Hallerman, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
GHF IN THE COMMUNITY
GHF Presents at Connections 2016
GHF’s Cindy Zeldin and Laura Colbert presented at the Healthcare Georgia Foundation’s 2016 Connections conference. They shared GHF organizational strengths that foster and support the development of strategic partnerships and cooperation. Check out Laura’s blog post about the conference for resources and more!
GHF joins League of Women Voters for Annual Meeting
On Saturday, April 21st, GHF’s Whitney Griggs spoke to the Fulton County League of Women Voters about health care issues addressed in the 2016 legislative session. She highlighted bills focused on health care disparities and the coverage gap.
GOVERNOR DEAL SIGNS BIPARTISAN PROVIDER DIRECTORY LEGISLATION
GHF and partners attend signing of SB 302
Last week, Governor Deal signed SB 302 into law! GHF advocated throughout the Legislative Session for this bipartisan bill to improve the accuracy and usability of provider directories. SB 302 is an important step towards making provider directories the accurate and functional tool that consumers need to make the best health care decisions for themselves and their families. Georgia’s proactive move is being noted by national partners – check out the coverage!
Consumers Union – Consumers Score Victory with Georgia Provider Directory Legislation Signed into Law
Families USA – How States Are Improving Consumers’ Access to In-Network Health Care Providers
Community Catalyst – Protecting Health Care Consumers in the Peach State
For more information and resources on provider directories, check out our blog post.
NEW AT HEALTHYFUTUREGA.ORG
Infographics page
We know you care about advocating for a healthy future – it’s why you signed up for our emails! We also know you’re busy. So we’ve been working on ways you can learn, engage, and participate in the way that works best for you! One such avenue is through our infographics page. There you’ll find infographics on the issues you care about and easy buttons to share them on social media! If you’re on Pinterest, you can also follow our infographics board.
APRIL EVENTS
Inman Park Festival – GHF goes to the community
This past weekend, GHF had a table at the Inman Park Festival. Whitney and Laura were on hand to talk about the coverage gap and other GHF priorities. We collected dozens of close the gap postcards and gave out goodies to those that stopped by! Thank you to our partners at Feminist Women’s Health Center for joining us at the festival!
Post Legislative Session Webinar
If you weren’t able to attend our April 5th webinar, Changes in health Care and Policy in the 2016 Georgia Legislative Session, don’t worry, you can watch it here. The webinar reviews bills, resolutions, and budgetary items discussed during the 2016 Legislative Session that may impact Georgia’s health care system and health care consumers. Have questions that didn’t get answered? Email Laura!
PARTNER HIGHLIGHT
American Diabetes Association – Georgia Chapter
GHF is excited to partner with the Georgia chapter of the American Diabetes Association to support health advocacy work that can improve the lives of people affected by diabetes. Advocacy collaborations involve participation in the effort to pass SB 302, expansion of the American Diabetes Association’s Safe at School training program, and a Diabetes Advocacy Day at the Capitol in 2017. For information on involvement with the American Diabetes Association please contact Rebecca Drake.
The mission of the Georgia chapter of the American Diabetes Association is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes in the state.
SAVE THE DATE: SEPTEMBER 28, 2016
Join us for the 2nd annual Consumer Health Impact Awards!
We had a blast celebrating advocacy and health advances in Georgia with you last year and we can’t wait to do it again! Voting is now open for the Linda S. Lowe Health Advocacy Award and for the Community Impact Award. Know a person or organization whose work deserves to be recognized? Nominate them today! If you’re interested in sponsoring you can learn more here. RSVP here.
GHF WELCOMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Deep Shah
Dr. Deep Shah, MD, MSc is a senior internal medicine resident at Emory University School of Medicine/Grady Memorial Hospital. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Georgia, where he won a Rhodes Scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in comparative social policy at Oxford. Deep then went to Harvard for medical school. He has worked as a policy fellow for Senator Johnny Isakson and Governor Sonny Perdue. He serves on the American College of Physicians’ Medical Practice and Quality Committee and Committee and Council of Resident/Fellow Members. After residency, he plans to marry his interests in primary care, health administration, and public policy.
Melanie Porter
Melanie recently retired from John Deere, where she worked in several diverse capacities, including Director and then Vice President of the Agri Services division of the company. Melanie led HR teams in Mergers and Acquisitions, integrating new businesses into John Deere, and was then appointed to lead a newly created HR area of Change Management, where she and her team designed and developed processes and tools that enabled aligned teamwork and supported individual and team performance improvement. She then returned to HR Operations, leading a team providing HR expertise and leadership to all the corporate functional areas of the company. Melanie also served as a Master Coach at John Deere, guiding leaders in their career objectives. She was proud to serve six years as Vice Chair of the Board for Community Health Care, Inc., an organization that provides excellent, affordable in-patient medical, dental and behavioral health care to over 35,000 patients annually.
IN THE NEWS
Study says United exit will hurt some exchange enrollees
April 19 | Georgia Health News
State document hints at downside to insurance mergers in Georgia
April 13 | Georgia Health News
The 2016 Legislative Session has Ended
Moving Forward
The 2016 Legislative Session has come and gone. If you’re still catching up on everything that happened, check out our legislative tracking page to see what passed, what didn’t, and what’s been signed by the Governor thus far. You can also find our video series, Consumer Health Advocacy Today (CHAT), on ourYouTube page.
Click here to read a letter from our Executive Director, Cindy Zeldin, as she reflects on the session and what’s ahead for Georgia’s health care consumers.
If you missed our webinar earlier today on changes in health care policy in the 2016 legislative session, join the Georgia Health Action Network to receive the recording.
Closing Georgia’s Coverage Gap
Working together to close the coverage gap
GHF and the Cover Georgia Coalition are gathering stories and signatures! Stories like Tracy’s help to put a human face to Georgia’s decision not to expand Medicaid. If you fall into the coverage gap, your story can make a difference in convincing our lawmakers to close the gap. To share your story, email Whitney.
If you’d like to show your support for closing the gap you can sign this petition to close the coverage gap and share it with your friends, family, and social network.
In addition to the petition, GHF & Cover Georgia are collecting post cards, like the one above, to show lawmakers that their constituents support closing the gap. If your organization would like hard copies of postcards, like the one above, to help collect signatures in your outreach, let us know! We’re also available to give presentations on the coverage gap and what it means for all Georgians. For more information about presentations, email Laura.
Save the Date!
The Consumer Health Impact Awards are back!
After an amazing first year, we are thrilled to announce the date for the second annual Consumer Health Impact Awards! Nominations for this year’s awardees start soon and now is the time to start thinking about who should take home the 2016 Linda Smith Lowe Advocacy and the Community Impact Award! Already know you want to go? You can RSVP here. Sponsorship opportunities can be found here.
GHF Welcomes New Staff Member
Sarah Dobra – Director of Development & Operations
GHF is excited to welcome Sarah to the GHF team! In her role she will provide operational, development, planning and evaluation, and editorial support to ensure that we’re functioning well across programs and projects. Prior to joining GHF, Sarah was the Disparities Manager and Cancer Care Delivery Research Program Coordinator at a community cancer center in Savannah, Georgia. In this position Sarah successfully leveraged community partners to support cancer prevention and screening activities to address cancer disparities as part of a larger community network. Sarah obtained her law and master’s in Public Health degrees at Tulane University and holds a B.A. from the University of Oregon. Sarah can be reached at sdobra@healthyfuturega.org – join us in welcoming her!
GHF in the News
Bill aims to erase errors in insurers’ medical directories
by Andy Miller, Georgia Health News
“Directory errors can be common. For example, a “secret shopper” survey done by Georgians for a Healthy Future found numerous errors in four “silver-level” HMOs in Atlanta that the consumer group examined. The survey found that one in five primary care doctors listed as participating in a plan’s network were not actually in that network, Cindy Zeldin, executive director of the consumer group, told GHN on Wednesday…” Read more.
MORE >Getting What You Pay For
GHF and Georgia Watch host policy forum on network adequacy, surprise out-of-network billing, and provider directory accuracy.
Early in February, GHF and Georgia Watch partnered to host policymakers, stakeholders, and advocates at a policy panel on important health insurance consumer protections. The event opened with remarks from Senator Dean Burke and included presentations from Consumers Union’s Julie Silas, Georgia Watch’s Beth Stephens, and GHF’s Meredith Gonsahn. If you missed the event, you can find presentations and materials below!
Julie Silas’s presentation: Finding Policy Solutions for Provider Directories and Surprise Medical Bills
Meredith Gonsahn’s presentation: Improving Network Adequacy and Provider Directory Standards in Georgia
Video interviews with Julie Silas on network adequacy and provider directories
Who was there? Check out the photo album.
New Policy Briefs
Ensuring Access to Care: Setting and Enforcing Network Adequacy Standards
When consumers enroll in a health insurance plan, they gain access to a network of medical providers. This network must be adequate to ensure that consumers enrolled in the plan have reasonable access to all covered benefits. The goals of this policy brief are to:
-explain the importance of network adequacy for access to care
-outline current network adequacy standards in Georgia
-summarize recent policy activity around network adequacy
-set forth consumer-oriented principles for network adequacy standards in Georgia
-provide policy recommendations to achieve network adequacy in Georgia.
Ensuring Access to Care: Improving Provider Directory Accuracy and Usability
Provider directories are the primary tool available to consumers to determine whether the plan they are selecting has a narrow or broad network and to identify which providers are in their plan. As such,these directories should be accurate, up-to-date, and should truly function as a tool. The Georgia Legislature has taken the first steps to addressing these issues through SB 302, the Provider Directory Improvement Act. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate and is now in the House Insurance Committee for consideration.The goals of this policy brief are to:
-explain the role provider directories play as a tool for consumer decision-making
-describe current provider directory provision in Georgia
-describe common problems with provider directories
-outline recent policy activity around provider directories
-highlight other state examples of provider directory improvments
Legislative Updates
GHF and partners take to the Gold Dome!
Whitney and Laura have been spending extra time at the Capitol lately with our coalition partners. Many organizations host lobby days during the legislative session when grassroots advocates can come to the Capitol to make legislators aware of issues that they care about and advocate for relevant legislation. Our partner organizations have invited GHF to attend many lobby days to talk to their attendees about closing Georgia’s coverage gap and other items on our policy agenda. Whitney and Laura have also provided coverage gap lapel stickers so this issue is visible to all people in the Capitol, especially legislators. Thank you to all our partners for sharing your lobby days with us and helping to foster new coverage gap advocates!
GEAR Update: Special Enrollment Period Changes
At the beginning of last year’s open enrollment period, GHF created GEAR, the Georgia Enrollment Assister Resource Network (GEAR). GEAR is a coalition of enrollment assisters and those closely involved in the enrollment process. Now the open enrollment is passed, GEAR is turning to tax time and special enrollment periods (SEPs). Last month, CMS announced the new special enrollment confirmation process. Georgians will now be required to provide sufficient proof to the marketplace to determine their SEP eligibility. Failure to provide supporting documents may lead to the denial of coverage. At GHF we advocate for policies that make enrollment in health insurance more inclusive and fight policies that put up unnecessary barriers. We want to hear from you about this! If you’re an enrollment assister and are experiencing trouble enrolling consumers during a special enrollment period, let us know! If you’d like to join the GEAR network, you can do that here.
GHF Welcomes New Board Members
Aliyya Haque
Sylvia Caley
Sylvia returns to the GHF’s board of directors. She is an associate clinical professor at Georgia State University and is director of the Health Law Partnership (HeLP), a medical-legal community collaboration among Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Atlanta Legal Aid Society and the College of Law at Georgia State. Caley has extensive experience in health care, health law and policy, and poverty law, and her work-related interests have centered on the intersection of health and poverty. She is a member of the Grady Health System Ethics Committee and the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Bioethics and public Affairs Committee. Caley teaches courses on health policy and legislation and clinical skills. She also lectures extensively on legal issues affecting child health and well-being
GHF in the News
Closer Look – WABE
59:18: Cindy Zeldin, executive directory og GHF, expamines current state legislation related to healthcare and health policy.
A small, surprising step toward a big change in health coverage? – Georgia Health News
“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 by holding a legislative hearing on a proposal, SB 368, that would create a Medicaid expansion alternative in Georgia…”
ACA enrollment tops 587,000 in Ga., but insurers nervous over sign up rules – Georgia Health News
“More than 580,000 Georgians signed up for coverage in the insurance exchange during the third open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act…”
Bipartisan Cooperation on Health Care in Georgia, But Not Medicaid Expansion – Atlanta Progressive News
“Medicaid expansion may be dead for the year, but there appears to be bipartisan cooperation on other health policy issues..”
MORE >
INTRODUCING THE GEORGIA HEALTH ACTION NETWORK (GHAN)
What is GHAN?
GHAN is your way to keep up with and take action on the health care policy issues you care about. By signing up to be a part of GHAN you’ll receive action alerts with things you can do, like sign a petition, share an infographic with your social network, or contact your legislator to raise awareness and advocate for important consumer health issues. To join GHAN, email Anna.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
The Georgia Legislative Session is in full swing
It is a short session this year and it’s amazing we’re already almost a month in! GHF is at the Capitol every day, advocating for consumer health care protections. To see a list of the bills we’re tracking,click here. We’re very excited that Senator P.K. Martin has introduced a bill, SB 302, that would increase transparency and the usability of health insurance provider directories. The bill has strong bipartisan support and is scheduled for a hearing Monday, so stay tuned for that update! Conversations also continue around surprise medical bills, network adequacy, and closing the coverage gap.
Read the Week One update.
Read the Week Two update.
Read the Week Three update.
If you’re more of a visual person, you might want to check out our video series, CHAT (or Consumer Health Advocacy Today) where we talk to policy makers and experts about what’s going on under the Gold Dome.
OPEN ENROLLMENT ENDS
GHF helped over 100 people get covered
Open enrollment formally concluded on January 31, 2016 and 587,845 Georgians enrolled in the Marketplace (healthcare.gov).
Throughout open enrollment, GHF worked to get Georgians enrolled through direct service and the creation of GEAR (or the Georgia Enrollment Assister Resource Network). GEAR is the new central hub of resources for Georgia’s enrollment assisters and community partners who work with consumers to educate them on their health and health care coverage options. If you are interested in learning more about GEAR or want to sign up for the newsletter, email Whitney. Additionally, during this open enrollment period we have provided enrollment assistance to 78 applicants and their families, totaling 141 Georgians. Of those, 91% received financial assistance.
WHY THE COVERAGE GAP MATTERS
On January 19th, GHF’s Outreach and Engagement Manager, Whitney Griggs, was in Savannah talking to people who fell into the coverage gap. One of them was Henry. Henry had been working as a super heavy hauler, but had to stop working in 2008 to take care of his diabetes and other health issues. He intended to return to driving once his health problems were under control, but he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and could not return to driving or working. He is currently managing several severe health issues, including diabetes, blood clots in his lungs and legs, thryroid cancer, and COPD. Although, he is able to get some of his care from St. Mary’s, he has many unpaid medical bills. He must rely on his elderly mother to help pay some of his costs, which he says is difficult because she lives on a fixed income. Stories like Henry’s highlight the need for Georgia to close its coverage gap to make sure all Georgians are able to get the care they need. If you or someone you know has a story of being uninsured that you would like to share, please contact Whitney.
6TH ANNUAL HEALTH CARE UNSCRAMBLED
Starting the Year Off Right
There’s something wonderful about a room full of people talking about how to improve Georgians’ access to quality, affordable health care. No matter the path we advocate for, the end goal is the same. This year we hosted a bipartisan legislative panel that included Reps. Lee Hawkins and Debbie Buckner and Sens. Greg Kirk and Emanuel Jones. Following the legislative panel, two national experts, Sue Polis from Trust for America’s Health and Lynn Quincy from Consumers Union, spoke on emerging trends in health care policy. Check out this blog to see pictures from the event, read the media’s write up, and watch interviews with the panelists.
GHF IN THE NEWS
Last Call to Enroll for 2016 Insurance Under the Affordable Care Act
New York Times | January 29, 2016
Legislative panel reflects divide on Medicaid expansion
Georgia Health News | January 14, 2016
Rare metal: Where are the Platinum plans?
Georgia Health News | January 4, 2016
The holidays are behind us and the legislative session is here! Here’s what you need to know about December before we get too far into January!
Upcoming Events
Health Care Unscrambled 2016
It’s not too late to register! Health Care Unscrambled, GHF’s signature event, is this Thursday. Join us for breakfast and conversation with a bipartisan panel of legislators who are focusing on health policy issues under the Gold Dome this session. Then stick around for a deep dive on emerging issues for health advocates with Lynn Quincy of Consumers Union and Sue Polis from Trust for America’s Health.
RSVP
Webinar: A Look Ahead at Health Care Policy in the 2016 Georgia Legislative Session
Can’t make it to Health Care Unscrambled? You can still get the information you need to advocate on health care policy issues in the 2016 legislative session by attending our upcoming webinar. We will preview expected health care legislation,present GHF’s policy priorities, and let you know how you can get involved. The webinar is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 21st, noon to 1 pm.
Register Here
Getting What You Pay For: Consumer Protections for Network Adequacy, Surprise Medical Bills, and Provider Directories
February 2, 2016 – 8am
Freight Depot, Blue Room
Join us and Georgia Watch for a policy forum featuring an in-depth panel discussion on network adequacy, surprise medical bills and provider directories. Panelists will speak on how these issues are impacting consumers in Georgia and across the nation, policy implications, current legislative work and how you can get involved in supporting advocacy efforts. The panel will feature:
- Senator Dean Burke, District 11
- Julie Silas, Consumer Union
- Meredith Gonsahn, Georgians for a Healthy Future
- Beth Stephens, Georgia Watch
RSVP
Policy Updates
Study committee work has finished, reports trickle in
Georgia legislative study committees meet during the off-session to study and make recommendations for the General Assembly around specific policy issues. GHF has been following and participating in the study committees focused on health issues impacting consumers. Read our Health Policy Analyst Meredith Gonsahn’s blog for a run-down of committees that have published their reports, the issues they investigated, and report recommendations.
GHF releases our policy priorities
The 2016 Legislative Session has officially begun and at GHF we have released our 2016 policy priorities. You can download the PDF below or you can watch the one minute video by clicking on the image to the right for a quick run-down!
Download our 2016 policy priorities
ACA Implementation Research Network
In December, the ACA Implementation Research Network released its Georgia state report at a policy forum held at the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. Georgians for a Healthy Future’s Executive Director Cindy Zeldin participated in a discussion with advocates, policymakers, and stakeholders to reflect on the report’s findings. The conversation ranged from health insurance enrollment best practices to health system reform to what it will take to close the coverage gap in Georgia.
Enrollment Update
By the 9th week of Open Enrollment 3, more than 8.6 million consumers nationally and 517,000 in Georgia have enrolled in health care coverage through the Marketplace. In addition to GHF’s collaborative work with the enrollment assistance community, we also help individuals and families enroll in health insurance! We have assisted more than 70 individuals and families with enrollment and post enrollment related services, and enrolled 60 consumers into Marketplace plans during OE3. GHF continues to provide enrollment and post enrollment assistance to consumers through its main office in downtown Atlanta, its weekly enrollment site at Switzer public library in Marietta, and through other events in partnership with community organizations, coalition partners, and other non-profit organizations.
Contact our enrollment assister
New Look, Same GHF
Have you been to our website recently? If you haven’t, you should! We have revamped our site to be more engaging and intuitive. It’s chock full of tools and resources to help you get up to speed on the issues you care about and to take action during the legislative session and throughout the year. Check it out!
GHF In the News
Tom Crawford: Here’s a salute to the accomplishments of 2015
Gainsville Times | December 30, 2015
Exchange enrollment nears 500,000 in Georgia
AJC | December 22, 2015
Insurers’ woes threaten the Affordable Care Act
Atlanta Business Chronicle | December 18, 2015
State senator expects legislation on insurance reform
Georgia Health News | December 15, 2015
GHF Welcomes New Intern!
Victoria Congleton joins the GHF team in our efforts to improve health policies in Georgia. Victoria will work on various tasks during her time with GHF to learn about all of the components of health advocacy in Georgia. Victoria hopes to learn more about the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, health policies, the legislative session, and other health topics. She is currently finishing up her Bachelors in Community Health and French at SUNY Potsdam.
ICYMI: GHF is on LinkedIn
GHF has joined the LinkedIn community and we’d love to connect with you! Check out our page, follow us and let the conversations begin!
See what’s happening on our social sites
MORE >
POLICY UPDATES
Network Adequacy – We Have a Model Act!
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners approved an updated network adequacy model act at its Fall meeting in November. The model act is a framework that states can adopt to help ensure that consumers have meaningful and timely access to the health services in their benefit package. With more insurance companies offering narrow network plans, these basic standards are an important consumer protection, and GHF encourages state policymakers to consider tailoring and adopting the model act in Georgia. We’ll be announcing our legislative priorities for 2016 soon, and this issue will be on the list!
Study Committees Conclude Their Work
Several health-related study committees met during the summer and fall months, and most of them are wrapping up their work. The Consumer and Provider Protection Act Study Committee held its final open meeting in November with a focus on network adequacy and provider directories. Claire McAndrew from Families USA, a national consumer health advocacy organization, and Georgians for a Healthy Future’s Health Policy Analyst Meredith Gonsahn delivered testimony on the importance of setting network adequacy standards and ensuring provider directory accuracy and usability. Look out for a final report from the committee in December!
Concerns Grow about Proposed Mergers
Earlier this year, two separate proposed health insurance mergers were announced. A November New York Times article laid out some of the concerns that consumer advocates have about the proposed mergers and featured comments from Cindy Zeldin, Georgians for a Healthy Future’s Executive Director. Our Health Policy Analyst Meredith Gonsahn is monitoring this important issue – be on the lookout for a policy brief in the new year that provides more detailed insights about the potential effects of these mergers. You can also learn more by visiting the Coalition to Protect Patient Choice.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Health Care Unscrambled 2016
Please save the date for the morning of January 14th for our annual Health Care Unscrambled policy breakfast. The breakfast will feature a bipartisan panel of legislators who will preview the health care issues they plan to focus on during the legislative session, a keynote panel discussion about emerging health policy issues, and opportunities to network with fellow health advocates. Registration is now open!
GHF IN THE COMMUNITY
Coverage and Access to Care: Local Focus on Savannah
Georgians for a Healthy Future hit the road again recently, this time to Savannah! We collaborated with the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute and the Chatham County Safety Net Planning Council to pull together a local roundtable discussion with individuals and organizations serving the local community. We learned so much about the coverage and access challenges facing individuals and families in Savannah.
GHF in North Fulton
North Fulton Community Charities, a non-profit human service agency that assists families in need in North Fulton County, invited Georgians for a Healthy Future to present our Medicaid chart book to its community leaders. Board members, city and county council people, and state legislators were in attendance, along with interested community members. We had a constructive conversation with participants about how Georgia can close the coverage gap. If your organization, church, or community group would like us to present at your next meeting (either about closing the coverage gap or about helping people enroll in health insurance), contact Laura.
PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE IN SPANISH
Get Insured. Stay Insured.
This toolkit is designed to walk people through each step of the enrollment process, from how to select the right plan for them, to how to find a doctor, and even things to keep in mind when filing taxes if they receive a subsidy. Hard copies of the Spanish toolkit are available, please email Whitney for more information.
My Health Insurance User’s Manual
This workbook is a take-home, interactive resource for the newly enrolled. People can fill in the workbook with their own information so they have all of their important health coverage information in one place. If your organization is interested in obtaining hard copies of the workbook in Spanish, please contact Whitney.
Thank You!
In addition to November being a busy month full of community engagement, health insurance enrollment, and public policy advances, it was also a month for gratitude and reflection. This Thanksgiving, the 300,000 Georgians who fall into the coverage gap were in our thoughts. In the coming year, we plan to redouble our efforts to close the coverage gap in Georgia. Your contributions on Georgia Gives Day will support our advocacy campaign in 2016 to close this gap. The Georgians for a Healthy Future team thanks you for your support. And if you missed Georgia Gives Day, don’t worry – you can still give here.
GHF in the News
Obamacare insurance premiums on the rise in Georgia
AJC | November 29, 2015
Closer Look: Health Care; Peachtree-Pine Shelter; And More
WABE | November 24, 2015
States Urged to Review Health Insurance Mergers
New York Times | November 20, 2015
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NEW PUBLICATIONS
Get Insured. Stay Insured.
Our new toolkit is designed to walk people through each step of the enrollment process, from how to select the right plan for them, to how to find a doctor, and even things to keep in mind when filing taxes if they receive a subsidy. Each piece of the toolkit can be used individually based on where the person is in the enrollment process or it can be used as one comprehensive piece. If you have any questions about the toolkit or would like to receive hard copies (for pick up only in most cases) please contact Whitney Griggs.
My Health Insurance User’s Manual
This workbook is a take-home, interactive resource for the newly enrolled. It covers topics that enrollment assisters may not have time to cover during the enrollment appointment, such as how to find a primary care provider, how to make your first appointment, and even how to make a budget. People can fill in the workbook with their own information so they have all of their important health coverage information in one place.
Study Committees Continue Their Work
Georgians for a Healthy Future’s Executive Director Cindy Zeldin traveled to Tifton in October to participate in the second meeting of the Consumer and Provider Protection Act Study Committee. The meeting was held at the Tift Regional Health System and featured testimony from a range of health care stakeholders. The third meeting of the committee was held on Monday, November 9th at 9am at the State Capitol in Atlanta and focused on network adequacy, an important issue for health care consumers. Click here to read Cindy’s blog on the study committee’s work.
PAST EVENTS
GEAR Webinar
This webinar introduced the Georgia Enrollment Assistance Resource (GEAR) Network. We created GEAR to be a resource for navigators, certified application counselors, community-based nonprofits, and other stakeholders who are interested in outreach and enrollment in Georgia. Through GEAR, you can access an array of Georgia-specific consumer-facing materials in English and Spanish. Participation in GEAR is free and is intended to be a community resource.
Sign up for the GEAR Newsletter.
Getting and Keeping Georgia Covered.
GHF and Enroll America teamed up to host an all day conference in advance of the start of Open Enrollment. If you missed it, check out this resources page for tons of valuable resources!
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Policy Luncheon on Preventing Youth Substance Use
This forum featured a panel of experts who shared their academic, research, and personal experiences, demonstrating not only the need for, but the effectiveness of SBIRT in preventing substance use disorders. Check out the videos below hear more about by SBIRT matters.
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UGA’s State of Public Health Conference: Featuring GHF
Last week, GHF was on the road again traveling to Athens for UGA’s annual State of Public Health conference. The SOPH conference is a chance for public health researchers, practitioners, and students to share and learn about the newest public health initiatives and research happening across Georgia. We were excited to be featured as a presenter among other experts, advocates, and leaders in Georgia’s public health domain. In a workshop dedicated to the Affordable Care Act, GHF teamed up with Georgia Watch to talk about Marketplace enrollment efforts in Georgia. The presentation was based on GHF’s “Getting Georgia Covered” report, which explored the successes and barriers to outreach and enrollment efforts in Open Enrollment 2. We also previewed the upcoming open enrollment period, which starts on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015, and advocated for closing Georgia’s coverage gap. The other presenters in the workshop, including another presentation from our partner Georgia Watch, comprehensively covered the new ACA requirement for hospitals to complete a community health needs assessment (CHNA) of their service area every 2-3 years and how that is being implemented in Georgia. The workshop generated some excellent questions and constructive conversation about these two very different aspects of the ACA.
IN THE NEWS
Georgians face key health insurance decisions during open enrollment
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
GHF Welcomes Yaminah, new Grassroots Advocacy Fellow!
Yaminah Romulus joins the GHF team as the Grassroots Advocacy Fellow. She will work to develop GHF’s outreach strategy and collaborate the staff on policy analysis work. Yaminah is currently pursuing a Master’s of Public Health with a concentration in Health Policy and Management at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Some of her interests include access to care for vulnerable populations, barriers to quality care, and the improvement of health care delivery systems.
NEW PUBLICATIONS
A Chart Book for Understanding Medicaid in Georgia and the Opportunity to Improve It
Georgians for a Healthy Future and the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute are proud to release our joint publication: Understanding Medicaid in Georgia and the Opportunity to Improve It. Inside you will find infographics, new data, and compelling charts that simplify the complex issue of Medicaid in Georgia.
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Part one explains who gets Medicaid in Georgia, how Medicaid protects Georgians during economic downturns, how Medicaid controls costs in the state, and more.
Part two outlines Georgia’s opportunity to close the coverage gap. Here you’ll find out what Georgia’s health insurance coverage gap is, how we can use Medicaid to close it, and who stands to benefit detailed by job sector, demographics, and veteran status.
Part three details economic and social benefits of closing the coverage gap. Why is closing the coverage gap is a good deal for Georgia and the state’s economy? What are the savings other states realize by closing the gap? How does coverage affect a person’s financial and physical health?
A limited number of hard copies of this new publication are available. Please let us know if you or your organization would like one. We are also available to provide presentations to your members about Medicaid in Georgia and the opportunity to improve it by closing the coverage gap. Please contact Laura Colbert if you’re interested in a community presentation.
Many Working Parents and Families in Georgia Would Benefit from Extending Medicaid Coverage
We know that closing Georgia’s coverage gap would help adults who are uninsured. But how does it affect families and children in our state? GHF and Georgetown University Health Policy Institute’s Center for Children and Families have teamed up to bring you new research to answer that question. Key findings include:
- Nearly three-in-ten Georgians potentially eligible for coverage should Georgia choose to close the coverage gap are parents with dependent children residing in their home.
- Of those parents that could benefit from expanded Medicaid eligibility, nearly two-thirds (57 percent) are employed. Nearly half of all uninsured parents (46 percent) work in restaurants, retail, or professional service occupations.
Children enrolled in Medicaid are more likely to receive well-child care and are significantly less likely to have unmet or delayed needs for medical care, dental care, and prescription drug use due to cost.
UPCOMING EVENTS
GEAR up for Open Enrollment
Webinar
October 19
2:00 – 3:00 PM
Please join us for a webinar to introduce the new Georgia Enrollment Assistance Resource Network-GEAR! GEAR is the new central hub of resources for Georgia’s enrollment assisters and stakeholders who work to educate people on their health and health coverage options. GEAR is full of handouts, interactive consumer tools, important updates, and other materials that will help enrollment assisters and community organizations better educate Georgians on health insurance enrollment, health insurance literacy, and more.
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Want to learn more about GEAR and how you and/or your organization can benefit? Join us on October 19th for a webinar where we will demonstrate how to access GEAR and review some of the materials that can be found there. We will also get your feedback about other resources you would like to see included on GEAR in the future. GEAR is built to help more Georgians connect to health coverage and we want it to work for you!
Policy Luncheon on Preventing Youth Substance Use
Please join us for a policy forum to take a deep dive into promising, cost-effective best practices to reduce youth substance abuse in Georgia. This lunchtime event will be held just prior to the second meeting of the Senate Study Committee on Preventing Youth Substance Use Disorders and will feature opening remarks by Senator Renee Unterman, the chair of the study committee and the Senate Health and Human Services committee. The forum will also include a panel discussion featuring:
Dr. Paul Seale, Navicent Health
Dr. Gabe Kuperminc, Georgia State University
Leigh Colburn, Director, Graduate Marietta Student Success Center
Bertrand Brown, Georgia Council on Substance Abuse
After the panelists’ presentations there will be time for question and answer. This is a free event, but we ask that you RSVP so that we may order enough food.
In Augusta last week, GHF met with local providers, advocates, and consumers to talk about Augusta’s coverage gap. More than a presentation, the event was a constructive conversation about finding a solution and making Augusta healthier. It was clear to us that people in Augusta are dedicated to helping their neighbors and closing the coverage gap.
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The event was previewed and then written up in the Augusta Chronicle.
“The state of Georgia will eventually expand its Medicaid program “because the numbers are so compelling,” a health care economist for Georgia State University said Thursday at a policy forum in Augusta.”
“Medicaid already covers 1.9 million people in Georgia, about 64 percent of whom are children, despite “very restrictive” limits on who can qualify, particularly for adults, according to a report being released today by Zeldin’s group and the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.”
GHF’s First Annual Consumer Health Impact Awards
What a night! GHF honored Georgia’s most inspiring health advocates, community partners, and policymakers at our first annual Consumer Health Impact Awards dinner in September. If you missed the event and want to see what all the fuss was about, check our our Storify or the photos on Facebook.
Legislative Study Committee Insights
Study committees are the framework for the legislative session. It’s where legislators, experts, and advocates roll up their sleeves and study the issues facing Georgians. Below you’ll find two windows into the study committee process. The first is a deep dive into the Senate Study Committee on the Consumer and Provider Protection Act (SR 561) by GHF Executive Director Cindy Zeldin who serves on the committee and is very involved in addressing network adequacy. The second is a breakdown by GHF Policy Analyst Meredith Gonsahn on the health-related committees meeting over the next several weeks.
Study Committee on the Consumer Provider and Protection Act
Read more about the study committees
IN THE NEWS
Expanding Medicaid coverage in Georgia has benefits, experts say
Augusta Chronicle | September 24, 2015
Georgia, Augusta are missing out on Medicaid, group says
Augusta Chronicle | September 23, 2015
Health insurance rates headed up in 2016
Georgia Health News | September 14, 2015
– See more at: http://backup.jasonaxelson.com/september-peach-pulse#sthash.2QoeAfib.dpuf
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