​​Every person who calls Georgia home deserves to live healthy and thrive. While Georgia has made recent strides to improve the health of our residents, we haven’t yet reached that goal according to Georgians themselves and our state’s health data.

To help state and community leaders make effective and informed decisions about the health and well-being of Georgians, Georgians for a Healthy Future created the illustrated What the health, Georgia guide. This publication is intended to be a reference that decision makers can go back to again and again as they consider new health laws and policies and determine how to invest public funds in health care and public health.

Download a copy of What the Health, Georgia here! 

Last month, GHF welcomed Whitney Griggs as our new Health Policy Analyst and Knetta Adkins as our new Organizing Manager. Whitney will lead GHF’s research, data, and policy analysis work so that GHF remains evidence-based and data-driven. Knetta will build and grow GHF’s outreach and organizing efforts, keeping GHF in touch with the most important health care stakeholders—Georgia’s health care consumers.

Legislative update: Week 8

The GHF team prides itself on delivering timely and accurate updates to you on health care happenings at the Capitol. We hope that you enjoy reading our weekly legislative updates and that they help you stay informed and connected. If you enjoy them, please consider supporting our work with a donation today. Thank you for your continued support!

In this week’s update:

• Action alerts: Ask the House Rules Committee to prioritize mental health & substance use recovery today!
• Bills likely to receive a House or Senate vote today
• Approved last week: Emergency services, prior authorization, & the FY22 big budget
• Advocacy events this week: HIV decriminalization & Medicaid expansion advocacy day!
• U.S. Senate approves COVID-19 relief including extra Medicaid expansion funding for Georgia
• GHF’s got you covered this session!

Legislative Update: Week 7

The GHF team prides itself on being able deliver timely and accurate updates on health care happenings at the Capitol. We hope that you enjoy reading our weekly legislative updates and that they help you stay informed and connected. If you enjoy them, please consider supporting our work with a donation today. Thank you for your continued support!

In this week’s update:

• The General Assembly approves the calendar for the rest of session
• Action alerts: prior authorization, Medicaid expansion, & mental health & substance use updates!
• Legislation: telehealth, changes to nursing rules, & protecting the ACA 
• Advocacy events this week: transgender rights!
• Federal COVID-19 relief – including extra Medicaid expansion funding – passed by U.S. House
• GHF’s got you covered this session!

Legislative Update: Week 6

In this week’s update:

• Action alerts on childhood lead exposure and prior authorization bills
• Legislation on housing and Medicaid expansion!
• Advocacy events this week: housing & Asian Americans
• GHF’s got you covered this session!

Legislative Update: Week 4

Thank you for your readership and enthusiasm for GHF’s weekly legislative updates! The GHF team enjoys putting these updates together to keep you in the loop. We work hard to deliver this service to you in a complete and accurate way every week of Georgia’s legislative session. If you rely on these updates to keep you connected to the health happenings under the Gold Dome, please consider supporting our work with a donation today. Thank you very much!

In this week’s update:

• Take action to reduce the number of uninsured children in Georgia
• Legislation on vaccine administration, lead poisoning in children, prior authorization, and a Medicaid public option!
• Advocacy events for your calendar
• GHF’s got you covered this session!

Legislative Update: Week 1

The 2021 legislative session has begun

Last week, the Georgia General Assembly convened for the first time in 2021. The first four days of the 2021 legislative session were held with additional COVID-19 safety protocols in place. The attentions of legislators were mostly taken up with committee appointments, (including a change in leadership for the Senate Insurance Committee from Sen. Burt Jones to Sen. Dean Burke), Governor Kemp’s third State of the State address, and other annual traditions, including GHF’s own Health Care Unscrambled. 

This week will be primarily dedicated to budget hearings for the current (FY 2021 Amended) and next year’s (FY 2022) state budgets. The General Assembly will reconvene on Tuesday, January 26th for the fifth day of legislative session.

As Georgia faces the public health emergency of COVID-19, it can be hard to be optimistic about our health and our futures. However, Georgians for a Healthy Future believes that our state can successfully overcome this tremendous challenge if Georgians adhere to the advice of public health experts and our state’s leaders swiftly adopt evidence-based policies that protect the health and safety of all Georgians. At the same time, Georgia leaders must look ahead to ways they can promote the health and well-being of all Georgians in the economically challenging months to come. Georgians for a Healthy Future has identified policy priorities that we believe are necessary for success in addressing the immediate public health emergency and the emerging economic consequences. These are the policies that we will fight for as we continue our fight for the health and wellness of all Georgians.

Our recommendations are shaped by feedback from GHF’s board of directors, partner advocacy organizations, local groups helping Georgians in their communities, and stories from Georgians just like you. You can share your COVID-19 experiences with GHF here. Thank you for your generous input.

As the status of this crisis changes and we gather more information, you can find updates to these policy recommendations and actionable information here.

Health system capacity and public safety

GHF supports:

• Statewide and local shelter-in-place orders and other aggressive social distancing practices to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus
• Funding to quickly expand the capacity of Georgia’s Department of Public Health to test and monitor the spread of COVID-19
• Funding to purchase personal protective equipment for health care workers
• Funding to purchase equipment for patient care like ventilators and respirators
• Maximizing the scope of practice for all qualified and licensed health care providers (e.g. physicians assistants, advanced practice registered nurses, registered nurses)
• Expanding options and health coverage of telehealth and virtual visits in all medically appropriate circumstances

Access to quality, affordable health care for all Georgians

GHF supports:

• Maximizing Medicaid flexibility and funding to increase access to care by:
  • Expanding Medicaid to all poor and near-poor Georgians (those making less than 138 percent of the federal poverty line)
  • Taking advantage of emergency 1135 waivers to increase the number of providers who can see Georgians with Medicaid coverage
  • Adopting administrative changes to preserve coverage for current Medicaid members and to enroll Georgians who are already eligible but unenrolled, including the expansion of presumptive and retroactive eligibility and a halt on the annual renewal process
  • Expanding coverage of home- and community-based services and long-term services and supports
• Expanding access and protections in comprehensive private health coverage
  • Promoting enrollment for people who qualify for private insurance, especially among those who are eligible for financial assistance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by:
    • Establishing a new Special Enrollment Period for people who wish to purchase health insurance now
    • Easing the enrollment and paperwork requirements for people enrolling in coverage due to job loss or income changes
    • Prohibiting health insurers from canceling a consumer’s coverage, even if they fall behind on premium payments
  • Eliminating cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing (and related tests) and treatment
  • Limiting the sale of plans that do not offer comprehensive benefits or follow the standards set by the ACA
  • Establishing comprehensive surprise billing protections
• Promoting access to mental health services and substance use recovery supports for all Georgians
• Easing limits on prescription drugs so that consumers can more easily access 90-day supplies of medications

Equity at the center of the response

This pandemic will hit some Georgia communities harder than others. All federal and state policy remedies should endure to offer the most help to those who are disadvantaged due to income, race or ethnicity, disability or health status, age, geography, and other factors. Georgia’s response must proactively address health equity concerns. Among other strategies, this should include disseminating public health messages that include information about affected groups and communities in languages and contexts they understand and directing additional funding to community health centers and other providers that serve disproportionately impacted communities.

Meeting the basic needs of Georgians and their families

As evidenced by yesterday’s job loss statistics, it is imperative that the public health response to the COVID-19 crisis be followed by an ambitious economic response. GHF supports policies that provide equitable opportunities for stability, dignity, and well-being for all Georgia families. While not an exhaustive list, these policies include:

• Expanded access to Georgia’s unemployment insurance system, including 26 weeks of benefits and the easing of eligibility requirements and activities.
• A moratorium on foreclosures and evictions, the provision of rental assistance and mortgage forbearance, and other supports that keep Georgians in their homes
• Improved access to nutritious foods through SNAP, WIC, school system food programs, and other public programs
• Universal paid family leave that allows workers regardless of income to take time off to care for themselves and their loved ones in times of sickness and crisis
• A moratorium on utility shut offs, including internet access so that families can keep the lights on and children can continue to learn remotely

GHF will support partner organizations in their efforts to advocate for these policies and supports for Georgia families and individuals.

Some of these policies have been adopted or partially adopted by federal officials, Governor Kemp, and state agency officials. GHF thanks Georgia leaders for the actions they have already taken. In the coming weeks, GHF will track which policies are fully implemented, partially adopted, or not taken up at all, and will provide updates accordingly.

Thank you for your support and advocacy. We wish you health and safety!

In 2019 Georgia’s health advocacy community lost several colleagues and friends. As we mourn those who passed, we strive to honor their lives by continuing to build the healthy, equitable future they each envisioned.

This year’s Linda Smith Lowe Health Advocacy Award will honor the work of one such Georgian. Dawn Alford is this year’s award recipient for her advocacy on behalf of Georgians with disabilities.

Dawn Alford was the Public Policy Director for the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities from 2013 until her unexpected passing in July 2019. In this role, Dawn led advocacy efforts to improve and protect access to quality health care, increase opportunities for accessible education, and to expand opportunities for people with disabilities to live full lives in their communities.

Dawn brought her own life experience to her work. As she educated legislators on important policy issues, she told stories about her health care, education, and family supports to illustrate the need and impact of policy change. She regularly led efforts to bring Georgians with disabilities to the state Capitol to do the same. Dawn’s ability to create change by leveraging the power of her own and others’ voices illustrates why GHF has chosen to recognize her as this year’s awardee.

Dawn’s former colleague and friend Eric Jacobson submitted her award nomination and reflected on Dawn’s legacy:

“It now only makes sense that we promote young people with disabilities to take her role and build upon it. While only 41 when she passed, she had begun developing a network of young people with disabilities who saw her as a mentor, coach and friend. She prepared them not only to become better advocates but to take leadership roles in the Disability Rights Movement.

She was an extraordinary advocate for people with disabilities who fought so that all Georgians with disabilities could live full and meaningful lives in the community.”

For her advocacy work on behalf of Georgians with disabilities, we are proud to honor Dawn Alford with the Linda Smith Lowe Health Advocacy Award.

We hope you will join us on January 14^th as we recognize Dawn! RSVP here.

In March 2019, Georgia lawmakers approved SB 106, the Patients First Act. The new law allows Georgia to use two kinds of health care waivers to make changes to health coverage in the state. These waiver plans could affect you, your friends, family, neighbors, and Georgians all across the state and the way you access and pay for health care.

(Waivers allow a state to set aside or “waive” certain requirements imposed by the federal government and try new models of providing health coverage and care.)

The state has hired Deloitte as a consultant to work with state leaders to develop the waiver plans. Georgia’s decision-makers have proposed an aggressive timeline and aim to finalize the waiver plans by the end of 2019.

Two types of waiver plans

Two types of plans are being developed by state leaders: an 1115 waiver and a 1332 waiver. An 1115 waiver allows Georgia to make changes to the state’s Medicaid program. Medicaid is the state’s health insurance program that covers kids, some low-income parents, seniors, and people with disabilities, and pregnant women. SB 106 limits the 1115 waiver to cover people making up to the poverty line (about $12,000 a year for an individual or $26,000 for a family of four). Medicaid expansion, which GHF has advocated for, would extend public coverage to people with incomes just above the poverty line (138% of the federal poverty line.) A successful way to use an 1115 waiver would be to cover everyone under the poverty line and exclude barriers to coverage such as burdensome paperwork requirements, confusing cost-sharing, or counterproductive lock-out periods.

A 1332 waiver allows the state to make changes to private insurance and the health insurance marketplace. About 450,000 Georgians buy their health coverage through the marketplace. Most of these Georgians receive federal tax credits to cover some or all of their premium costs. (Another 827,600 of Georgians are eligible for private coverage and financial help to buy it but have not yet enrolled.) A successful way to use a 1332 waiver is to establish a “reinsurance program” to reduce premium costs. This waiver should also ensure all plans continue to cover the essential health benefits (like prescription drugs) and maintain protections for people with preexisting conditions.

You can weigh in!

Now is the time to ensure that Georgia gets a plan that will provide comprehensive coverage to as many people as possible. Thousands of Georgians across the state could gain health care coverage through the Patients First proposals. While positive intentions have been expressed by Georgia’s elected officials about the forthcoming waivers, none has yet committed to ensuring all Georgians have a pathway to comprehensive, affordable coverage.

For every 1115 and 1332 waiver that the state wants to pursue, Georgia’s policymakers must seek input from the public. Because there are required state and federal public comment periods for each waiver proposal, there will be at least four public comment periods (a state and federal period for an 1115 waiver and a state and federal period for a 1332 waiver). These are your chances to help shape and influence health care in Georgia!

GHF and our Cover Georgia partners will let you know when the public comment periods begin and end and we will provide an easy way for you to have your say. Make a plan to submit comments during every public comment period so that state leaders know how their ideas will impact you and your family! Your story can help make a difference for thousands of Georgians and can support positive changes in health care coverage.

To learn more, visit coverga.org and download our new Happening Now fact sheet! Follow #CoverGA on FaceBook and Twitter for the most current updates!