Sarah Dobra – Director of Development & Operations
GHF and Georgia Watch host policy forum on network adequacy, surprise out-of-network billing, and provider directory accuracy.
Ensuring Access to Care: Setting and Enforcing Network Adequacy Standards 
Ensuring Access to Care: Improving Provider Directory Accuracy and Usability
GHF and partners take to the Gold Dome! 
Aliyya Haque
Sylvia Caley
GHF helped over 100 people get covered
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 
Health Care Unscrambled 2016
Webinar: A Look Ahead at Health Care Policy in the 2016 Georgia Legislative Session
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.
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.
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.
GHF has joined the LinkedIn community and we’d love to connect with you! 
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!
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Op-ed on GA Uninsured Rate
GHF’s ED Cindy Zeldin took to the pages of theAtlanta Journal-Constitution last month to make the case for coverage:“The clearest evidence we have shows us the decision by the majority of states (30 and counting) to expand Medicaid is foundational in transforming the health system. We cannot make progress as a state if 15 percent of our population is uninsured. Too many Georgians fall into a coverage gap our leaders can fix. Medicaid expansion should be on the table, not as a perfect solution, but as a necessary first step.”
Medicaid experiment should foster dialogue
Atlanta Journal-Constitution | August 28, 2015
Narrow networks are the exchange norm here
Georgia Health News | August 25, 2015
State outlines argument against Medicaid “waiver”
Georgia Health News | August 13, 2015
Former state insurance chief wary of big mergers
Georgia Health News | August 2, 2015
As we grow, GHF is looking to the future. We’ve updated our logo and this fall we will be rolling out a new website! Stay tuned for more details.
Major life events, such as getting married, changing jobs, or having a baby, qualify for you a special 60 day enrollment period. So after the honeymoon is over, it’s time to #GetCovered!
