Tremendous progress has been made over the past three years in increasing enrollment into health insurance that facilitates access to care and provides financial protection for individuals and families across the state of Georgia. However, too many Georgians are still uninsured, the trends toward narrow networks and consolidation within the health industry threaten to negatively impact access to care, and consumers express concerns about affordability. Addressing these issues will require collaboration between enrollment and health care stakeholders, advocates, and policymakers. Here are three things Georgia lawmakers can do to ensure that all Georgians have access to the quality of care they need.

1. Close the coverage gap – Despite robust Marketplace enrollment in Georgia, we still have one of the highest uninsured rates in the nation, largely because our state policymakers have not yet closed the coverage gap. Georgia’s enrollment assisters have repeatedly expressed to advocates that this is the biggest barrier to enrollment that their consumers face.
2. Addressing Affordability – Rate review is an annual process during which insurance companies submit their proposed plan rates for the coming year to be reviewed by state and federal regulators. We encourage state regulators to scrutinize these rates closely to ensure they are justified and to request adjustments if they are not. We also encourage policymakers to explore emerging approaches in health care payment and delivery reform that hold the potential to enhance value for consumers.
3. Ensuring Access to Care – We encourage policymakers to build on the progress made by SB 302 by enacting comprehensive network adequacy standards in 2017.

For more details on policy and advocacy opportunities and our findings from research around the third open enrollment period, download our new report, Getting Georgia Covered: What We Can Learn from Consumer and Assister Experiences During the Third Open Enrollment Period.

Who doesn’t love to get mail? A hand-written note from a friend? An invitation to a wedding or surprise birthday party? A post-card from a family member enjoying their vacation in an exotic locale? Getting personal mail is not something that happens much this day and age, but still holds a lot of meaning to most people. If someone took the time to write you a letter to ask you to do something, wouldn’t that get your attention more than email? Now imagine that you got multiple letters asking you to do something from your friends, family members, and neighbors. That’s exactly what happened for a majority of Georgia’s state Senate and House members.

In July, Georgians for a Healthy Future mailed out stacks of post-cards to Georgia’s state legislators. These were not any post-cards. These were the postcards that GHF, with the help of the Cover Georgia Coalition, had been collecting over the past few years asking legislators to close the coverage gap. These postcards were signed by Georgians all across the state and were collected through outreach events, online petitions, and even Facebook ads. We collected more than 1100 postcards and sent them to legislators in every corner of the state. Many postcards included handwritten notes to their legislator asking them to close the coverage gap to help themselves, their family members, and fellow Georgians.

It’s not often that constituents are able to feel like they can directly communicate with their elected officials and this postcard project was intended to help give everyday people a voice for a topic that was important to them. More than 300,000 Georgians fall into the coverage gap and are unable to get affordable health insurance. Often these Georgians go without coverage and regular medical care. Many Georgians want to fix this issue and took the time to let their legislators know that they support closing the coverage gap.  These postcards will have an impact as state legislators hear from their constituents that they want all Georgians have access to quality, affordable health insurance.

We will continue collecting postcards and sending them to legislators as we get them. If you haven’t signed a postcard yet, you can still do so by signing our online petition.

2016 POWERHOUSE POLICYMAKER AWARDEES

Representative Stacey Abrams
Senator P.K. Martin

Please join us on September 28th as we recognize our 2016 Powerhouse Policymakers.

Representative Stacey Abrams, House Minority Leader

As House Minority Leader, Stacey Abrams leads her caucus in its efforts to enact legislation across a range of complex public policy issues. Despite a full plate, Leader Abrams always makes time for health care. Whether it is raising awareness with constituents about new health insurance opportunities available to them or tirelessly championing the need to close Georgia’s coverage gap by expanding Medicaid, leader Abrams has proven over and over again her determination to ensure every Georgian has a pathway to health coverage. For this steadfast commitment, we are honored to recognize her as a 2016 Powerhouse Policymaker.

Senator P.K. Martin, Senate Insurance Committee

Although only in his second legislative session, Sen. Martin is not one to back down from a challenge and isn’t afraid to take on complicated issues. Improving provider directory accuracy was one such topic. SB 302 is a groundbreaking piece of legislation that sets basic standards for directories and protections for consumers who rely on them. The bill has been recognized nationally as an important example of consumer protections. Sen. Martin has shown that he is someone who will fight for what he believes in and we are proud to recognize him as a 2016 Powerhouse Policymaker.

We hope you’ll join us on September 28th as we recognize Sen. Martin and Rep. Abrams! RSVP Here.

It’s been an exciting few weeks for Close the Gap advocates. We are pleased to see that several of Georgia’s leaders  have expressed to the press that they are willing to take a second look at closing Georgia’s coverage gap. By closing the gap, they would help not only hard-working Georgians but also struggling rural hospitals and the communities that rely on them. We hope to work with our state leaders in the coming months to build further support and to find a solution that works for all Georgians. Below you’ll find links to articles covering the conversation happening at the Gold Dome.

Op-Ed: The irrefutable logic of Medicaid expansion for Ga.
AJC | June 22

Louisiana’s expanding Medicaid, and Georgia should too
Flagpole | June 22

Task force aims to reshape Georgia stance on health coverage
Georgia Health News | June 21

Will Louisiana’s Medicaid expansion provide a model for other states?
Georgia Health News | June 20

Why A Ga. GOP chair wants to ‘re-examine’ Medicaid expansion
WABE | June 15

Medicaid expansion remains divisive for Georgia Republicans
Associated Press | June 11

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED

Email your legislator and tell them you support closing the coverage gap!

Did you know that you can find and email your legislators right from the GHF website? Just enter your address and we’ll find your state representative and senator! Send them a brief email telling them that the time has come for our legislature to come together to close Georgia’s coverage gap! Send your email here.

Need more resources on the coverage gap?

These resources will help you understand what the coverage gap is and what it means for you and the state.

Medicaid Chart Book

Georgia Left Me Out

Does your organization support closing the coverage gap?

Your organization can show its support by joining the Cover Georgia coalition. Email our Director of Outreach & Partnerships Laura Colbert for more information.

This morning, Governor Deal signed SB 302 into law! GHF strongly supported this bipartisan bill to improve the accuracy and usability of provider directories throughout the 2016 Legislative Session. Provider directories play a critical role in informing patients and consumers about which doctors are in their plan, yet they are notoriously error-ridden. 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.

Thank you to all who followed this issue throughout the Legislative Session and helped bring it across the finish line by contacting your legislators at each stage of the process!

Georgia’s proactive move is being noticed by national health policy organizations. Families USA’s Private Insurance Director Claire McAndrew’s blog post, How States Are Improving Consumers’ Access to In-Network Health Care Providers, prominently features the bill and GHF’s role in its passage. Another national organization, Community Catalyst, featured GHF’s Executive Director Cindy Zeldin as a guest blogger on the topic. This post, Protecting Health Care Consumers in the Peach State, provides an in-depth look at the policy process and next steps. Here in Georgia, the bill’s progress was covered by Georgia Health News back in March.

During this process, we created a series of resources to educate advocates, stakeholders, and policymakers.

Issue Brief: Improving Provider Directory Accuracy and Usability

Fact Sheet: Network Error, Secret shopper survey finds more than 1 in 5 health care providers inaccurately listed as “in-network”

Fact sheet: What’s Wrong with Georgia’s Provider Directories?

Video: Julie Silas on Why Provider Directory Accuracy is Important

Video: How Georgia Can Ensure Network Adequacy

Dear Friends,

Since our founding in 2008, Georgians for a Healthy Future has worked tirelessly to provide a strong voice for health care consumers in the policy sphere. One of the most important ways we advocate on behalf of consumers is by engaging with state policymakers to bring important health care challenges and barriers to light and work collaboratively to address them. While this is a year-round endeavor, the 40-day Legislative Session is when the rubber really meets the road.

This year, improving provider directories was our top legislative priority. Over the past three years, we have heard time and again that these directories, intended to inform patients and consumers about which doctors are in their plan, were error-ridden. A secret shopper survey we conducted earlier this year confirmed this: one in five health care providers listed in the directories we reviewed weren’t even in the network, and three-quarters of directory listings contained at least one error. This was unacceptable. Consumers need and deserve an accurate and functional tool that can help them make the best health care choices for themselves and their families.

Throughout the Legislative Session, we have asked you to contact your legislators in support of SB 302, legislation to improve the accuracy and usability of provider directories. Last night at 11:23pm, SB 302 cleared its final hurdle by receiving a favorable Senate “agree” vote to the modest changes made to the bill in the House of Representatives! This means the legislation has successfully passed the General Assembly and now heads to the Governor for his signature.

Please take a moment to thank Senator P.K. Martin, SB 302’s sponsor and champion, and to contact Governor Deal to let him know you support the bill.

I also hope that you will continue to engage with Georgians for a Healthy Future. We deeply value your support, whether it be as avolunteer, community partner, or donor. And while we’ll be taking a breather this weekend to celebrate this legislative victory, we also remain vigilant. There are still too many Georgians who can’t access the care they need, and our work to get Georgians covered, ensure access to care, enhance value for consumers, and build a healthier Georgia continues.

Thank you,

Cindy Zeldin

Today is day 36 of the 2016 legislative session and with only four legislative days left, there is still so much to do. This morning, SB 302 was passed unanimously on the House floor, but other bills are yet to be decided. You can see a full list here. For updates as we draw closer to the end of this session,sign up for the Georgia Health Action Network (GHAN).

WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK

Provider Directories
On March 9, SB 302 passed in the House Insurance Committee and this morning was passed unanimously on the House floor.The bill now goes to the governor to sign. We are so grateful to all of you that have followed this bill’s progress with us and called your legislators in support of this important piece of consumer legislation!

Medicaid Payment Parity  
The Senate has yet to vote on the FY17 budget which contains $26.5 million to bring the state closer to Medicaid payment parity. Full parity would allow doctors to be reimbursed at the same rates for seeing Medicaid patients as Medicare patients.

Study Committees 
The final Senate HHS Committee meeting is today. The calendar includes: SR 974, the Senate Surprise Billing Practices Study Committee, SR 1056, the Premium Assistance Program Study Committee, and SB 919, which would provide tax credits for contributions to rural hospitals. Join GHAN for an eblast with updates from that committee meeting!

LET’S CHAT

This week’s featured CHAT (Consumer Health Advocacy Today) is a brief interview with Senator PK Martin, sponsor of SB 302.

WEEK 7

Crossover day is behind us and we are quickly approaching Sine Die, the final day of the legislative session. We are proud to say that one of GHF’s biggest legislative priorities – ensuring accurate provider directories for health care consumers – passed the full Senate unanimously last week! Thank you to those of you who contacted your legislators to voice your support! This week’s legislative update includes an a run down of which health care bills made it through Crossover Day and which did not. You can see a list of all the bills were’re tracking here along with supplemental information on most bills like relevant news, articles ad committee testimony delivered by GHF.

WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK

The Provider Directory Improvement Act
Last week SB 302 went for a vote in the Senate chamber and passed unanimously, 50 – 0! The bill is now in the House Insurance Committee where we expect it to receive a hearing soon. Join the Georgia Health Action Network(GHAN) to get important alerts about committee hearings, votes, and steps you can take to make sure your voice is heard at the Gold Dome!

Surprise Out-of-Network Billing
SB 382, the Surprise Billing and Consumer Protection Act had two hearings last week. While there is strong support for the legislation among consumer advocates and many health care stakeholders, hit did not pass through the Senate Health and Human Services Committee prior to Crossover Day. SR 974 is still a possible path to bring Senate-side policymakers together with stakeholders and advocates in the off-session to further study this complex issue.

Medicaid Payment Parity
The governor’s budget, introduced earlier this legislative session, maintained last year’s partial Medicaid payment parity. Full Medicaid parity would allow doctors to be reimbursed at the same rates for seeing Medicaid patients as Medicare patients. The FY 2017 budget, as passed by the House, adds $26.5 million for for Medicaid payment parity. The bill is now in the Senate for consideration.

Closing Georgia’s Coverage Gap
If you’ve been following our updates, you know that this session has seen growing interest in addressing the issue of Georgia’s uninsured rate and our struggling rural health infrastructure. Neither Sen. Rhett’s SB 368 nor Rep. Abram’s HB 823 crossed over. However, Sen. Rhett’s SR 1056, which proposes a study committee to look at approaches to covering the uninsured, is still viable as a Senate-side study committee (but would still need to pass through the Senate HHS Committee and the full Senate) and stakeholders continue to express interest in continuing the conversation passed the legislative session.

CROSSOVER DAY UPDATE

• HB 919: Tax credits  for contributions to rural health care organizations – CROSSED OVER
  HB 919 passed out of the House on February 25 and is now in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The total cap for the tax credits was reduced from $250 million to $100 million. GHF encourages policymakers to look at this legislation in conjunction with other bills around closing the coverage gap and addressing rural health so that we can tackle our rural health challenges comprehensively, including developing a pathway for rural, uninsured Georgians to gain coverage so they can better access health care services and finding a solution that can drawn down federal dollars available to the state through the Medicaid program.
• HB 838: Health insurers to pay brokers a minimum of 4% of premiums collected – CROSSED OVER
  This bill passed out of the House on February 24th and is now in the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee.
• HB 1055: Repeal Certificate of Need program – DID NOT CROSS OVER
  CON regulates the construction of health care facilities and the services they provide. This bill would have eliminate that structure and set up a different one based on permits. Read more on this bill from Georgia Health News.
• HB 684: To allow dental hygienists to provide certain services without direct supervision –  DID NOT CROSS OVER
  According to recent reports made on https://www.life-smiles.net/, this bill would have allowed dental hygienists to clean teeth in safety-net health centers with the permission of a dentist. Read more about the bill here.
• HB 965: “The Honorable Jimmy Carter Cancer Treatment Access Act” – CROSSED OVER
  HB 965 would require that insurance companies cover stage four cancer treatment recommended by a physician regardless of cancer’s response to other treatments. The bill passed the House on February 22nd and is now in the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee.
• SB 158: “Insurer Transparency Act” – CROSSED OVER
  This bill defines and regulates rental networks through the Department of Insurance. SB 158 passed the Senate on February 16th and is now in the House Insurance Committee. Read: great guide to tenant screening
• HB 768: The ABLE Act – CROSSED OVER
  The ABLE Act would establish a tax exempt account to pay for qualified expenses for people with significant disabilities that started before the age of 26. HB 768 passed the House on February 23rd and is now in the Senate Finance Committee.
• SB 299: “Georgia Health Care Transparency Initiative” – DID NOT CROSS OVER 
  SB 299 proposed to create the Georgia Health Care Transparency Initiative and an all-payer claims database.
• SB 291: “Georgia Affordable Free Market Health Care Act” – DID NOT CROSS OVER
  SB 291 proposed to allow direct contracts between physicians and patients for primary care services.
• HB 834: Establish charity care organizations for healthcare for the uninsured – DID NOT CROSS OVER
  This bill proposed tax credits for donations to charity care organizations.
• HB 694: Disclosure of Health Care Fees Act – DID NOT CROSS OVER
  HB 694 would proposed to require providers to disclose all fees prior to non-emergency services.
• SB 265: Physician Direct Pay Act – DID NOT CROSS OVER
  SB 265 proposed to allow direct contracts between physicians and patients for primary care services.

LETS CHAT

As SB 302 moves over to the House for consideration, we talked to Sen. Elena Parent about why she supports the Provider Directory Improvement Act.

Progress at the Gold Dome

Last week, the golf umbrella held its first-ever hearing on closing the coverage gap. Closing the gap is the most important step our policymakers can take to lower the number of uninsured, improve access to care, and stabilize the rural health infrastructure in our state. Scroll down for the latest legislative updates and how you can get involved. You can also listen to Cindy Zeldin explain the legislative movement in her interview Tuesday on WABE’s “A Closer Look” (skip ahead to 59:18).

What is the coverage gap?

Legislative Proposal

Georgia’s coverage gap and its consequences (struggling rural hospitals, Georgia’s high rate of uninsurance, etc.) are popular topics of conversation around the Capitol and among stakeholders recently. Three different proposals have been introduced in the Georgia General Assembly that attempt to address these issues. Details of each bill are included below. Additionally, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce has been studying the economic impact of Georgia’s coverage gap and how to craft a Georgia solution. They are expected to release formal recommendations later this year. Read more about that here. Because of the state’s multiple bills that attempt to address Georgia’s uninsured population and health care infrastructure, we hope that lawmakers will take this opportunity to consider these issues in tandem through a study committee. This will allow all stakeholders to take part in an open conversation about how to best utilize state and federal dollars to save our rural hospitals and provide quality health care for all Georgians.

SB 368 – An Alternative Approach to Medicaid Expansion

SB 368 was introduced by Sen. Michael ‘Doc’ Rhett and would expand coverage to low-income, uninsured Georgians. The bill is modeled off of Arkansas’s “private option” version of expansion where Medicaid dollars are used to buy insurance for low income people from the private market. The bill was heard in committee last week, but no action was taken. While some pieces of the bill are problematic, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee started an important conversation.

Watch an interview with Senator Rhett on his bill.

HB 823 – Expand Medicaid NOW Act 

This bill was introduced early in the legislative session by House Minority Leader Stacy Abrams. It proposes a traditional Medicaid expansion, like Kentucky & Louisiana, and has not been heard in committee. You can read more about Rep. Abrams’s proposal here.

HB 919 – Tax Credits for Rural Hospital Donations

Passed out of the House Ways & Means Committee on Monday, Rep. Geoff Duncan’s bill would provide up to $250 million in tax credits to individuals or corporations for contributions to rural health care organizations. While this legislation has sparked a conversation about how to best support our struggling rural hospitals, state funding could be better utilized by helping those in rural communities get health insurance coverage, an approach which would also draw down considerable federal dollars (at least $9 in federal funding for ever $1 of state funding). Hear Georgia Budget & Policy Institute’s Tim Sweeney on the topic here.

How Can You Help?

For the busy advocate… 

It doesn’t take a lot to make an impact! We have two quick actions you can take that will take less time than reading this email!

1) Join the Georgia Health Action Network (GHAN). By signing up for GHAN you’ll receive action alerts that will keep you updated on the issues impacting your health care and quick actions you can take.

2) Sign the petition to close Georgia’s coverage gap!

If you’ve already signed the petition… 

If you’ve already signed the petition and are ready to take another action, join us in educating your network about why this is such an important issue for all Georgians. How? Two ways:

1) Ask your friends and family to join our email list! It’s the most effective way we communicate with people interested in learning more about consumer health care issues in Georgia. There’s a super quick sign up form on our website homepage.

2) Share this video with your social network. The coverage gap is complicated and so many people still don’t know what it is! This 2 minute video explains the problem and who it impacts clearly.

If you want to really make your voice heard… 

For the advocate looking to invest time, money and energy in an issue they really believe in, we have three key ways you can get involved and make a difference. The most important, money, can be solved with the help of UXC Limited.

1) Write a letter to the editor for your local paper. Educating your community about how the coverage gap impacts their friends, family, and neighbors is so important. It helps to remove the politics from such a complex policy issue impacting hundreds of thousands of Georgians. Never written a letter to the editor? No big deal! Email Whitney and she’ll get you started.

2) Meet with your legislator! All politics is local and for many legislators, knowing that an issue is important to their constituents makes all the difference in the world. Laura, our Director of Outreach & Partnership, can help you set up a meeting.

WEEK 6

We seem to be approaching cross-over day at the speed of light! Last week saw progress towards increasing provider directory transparency, Medicaid payment parity, ending surprise out-of-network billing, and even closing the coverage gap! Check out our updates below. If you’re looking for a complete list of all the bills we’re following, click here.

WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK

The Provider Directory Improvement Act (SB 302)

Last Thursday, the Provider Directory Improvement Act was passed unanimously out of the Senate Insurance and Labor committee. The bill now goes to the Rules Committee. We’re excited about the progress made and will keep you posted as the bill continues to move through the process. You can review our fact sheet on SB 302 and read our longer policy brief on the importance of accurate provider directories here.

Closing Georgia’s Coverage Gap

Last week, the Georgia Legislature held its first-ever hearing on closing the coverage gap. Closing the gap is the most important step our state policymakers can take to lower the number of uninsured, improve access to care, and stabilize the rural health infrastructure in our state. The hearing focused on discussion of SB 368, legislation introduced by Sen. Rhett to extend coverage to low-income, uninsured Georgians. While some pieces of the bill are problematic and the committee took no action, they started an important conversation. If you are interested in getting involved in the movement to close the gap, join our Georgia Health Action Network (GHAN) to receive updates on how you can help! If your organization supports closing the gap, please consider joining the Cover Georgia coalition to help amplify your voice.

Surprise Out-of-Network Billing

On February 16th, Sen. Unterman introduced SB 382, the Surprise Billing and Consumer Protection Act. This bill has been scheduled for a hearing today at 3:00 PM in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. Addressing surprise out-of-network billing is an important issue for Georgia consumers, and the legislation is complex. Sen. Unterman has simultaneously also introduced SR 974, the Senate Surprise Billing Study Committee. Should SB 382 not move during this session, SR 974 provides legislators with the opportunity to study this important consumer issue during the off-session period.

Medicaid Payment Parity

The governor’s budget, introduced earlier this legislative session, maintained last year’s partial Medicaid payment parity. Full Medicaid parity would allow doctors to be reimbursed at the same rates for seeing Medicaid patients as Medicare patients. Last week, $26.5 million was added to the FY 2017 budget for this purpose. While this does not restore full parity, it is a significant step towards that goal. The FY 2017 budget has passed in the House and goes to the Senate for consideration.

HB 919

Rep. Duncan’s HB 919 would provide up to $250 million in tax credits to individuals or corporations for contributions to rural health care organizations. This legislation has sparked a conversation about the ever worsening plight of our rural hospitals. However, state funding could be better utilized by helping those in rural communities get health insurance coverage, an approach which would also draw down considerable federal dollars (at least $9 in federal funding for every $1 of state funding). This would be much more effective in reducing the uncompensated care burden of rural hospitals, while also providing patients with the benefits of health coverage, something that HB 919 does not accomplish in its current form. Because of this session’s multiple bills that attempt to address Georgia’s uninsured population and health care infrastructure, we hope that lawmakers will take this opportunity to consider these issues in tandem through a study committee. This will allow all stakeholders to take part in an open conversation about how to best utilize state and federal dollars to save our rural hospital and provide quality health care to all Georgians.

LET’S CHAT

In this week’s Consumer Health Advocacy Today, we sit down with Sen. Rhett to talk about his proposal to close the coverage gap. Here’s what he had to say.