Did you know that a new Commission of health leaders has begun meeting to explore how to improve access to care for low-income and uninsured Georgians?
Thursday, July 25th marked the inaugural meeting of Georgia’s Comprehensive Health Coverage Commission (CHCC). Established this spring by state leaders, this Commission will dedicate the next 18 months to advising state leaders about how to improve health care access and quality for low-income and uninsured Georgians.
Members of the Commission were appointed by Governor Kemp, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, and legislative leaders from the Georgia House and Senate. They are:
- Commission Chairperson: Caylee Noggle, President & CEO, Georgia Hospital Association
- Lisa Carnot, Vice President, Risk Management at PruittHealth
- Ms. Pam Clayton, Vice President, Quality Advancement & Regulatory Affairs, Georgia Health Care Association
- Kristy Klein Davis, President, Georgia Health Initiative
- Delvecchio Finley, President & CEO, Atrium Health Navicent
- Dr. Harry J. Heiman, Clinical Professor, Dept. of Health Policy and Behavioral Sciences at Georgia State University’s School of Public Health
- Dr. Sid Moore, Physician, Eye Center of Central GA
- Dr. John Odum, Physician, Metro Surgical
- Joseph R. Ross, Esq. Partner, Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP
Missed the meeting? You can re-watch the Commission’s meeting here and find more details about the Commission here.
Key Presentations and Discussion from the Meeting
Lynnette Rhodes, Chief Health Policy Officer, DCH
- Provided a thorough overview of Georgia’s Medicaid program, including how Medicaid is paid for, enrollment trends, and recent changes to the program
- Discussed the Georgia Pathways to Coverage program, a new Medicaid program that has failed to meet expectations.
- Responded to questions from Commission members about:
- Coverage changes and losses due to the Medicaid unwinding
- Medicaid members’ options for managing and engaging in their health care
- Enrollment in the Planning for Healthy Babies program (partially covers 81,000 Georgians) and Pathways to Coverage (covers 4300 Georgians)
John King, Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner
- Discussed the launch of Georgia Access, the new state-based exchange that is set to go live on November 1st. This new platform will transition Georgia off healthcare.gov and shift management of Georgia’s health insurance marketplace to the Georgia Department of Insurance. (Check out this blog from Georgians for a Healthy Future here for more information.)
- Highlighted Georgia’s reinsurance program and its role in reducing premiums and increasing carrier availability (especially in rural areas of the state)
Prompted in part by these presentations, Commission members identified wanting to look further into the quality of Medicaid insurers (also called managed care organizations), the quality of health insurance plans on the marketplace (healthcare.gov, and soon to be GeorgiaAccess.gov), Medicaid member engagement, insurer accountability, population modeling, and other topics in the future meetings.
The Commission chair shared that a future meeting will specifically address Georgia’s uninsured population. She also requested that Commission members suggest qualified presenters who could help the Commission understand and consider the topics identified as possible priorities during the meeting.
Closing Georgia’s Health Coverage Gap
A major issue that the Cover Georgia coalition hopes the Commission will tackle is Georgia’s health coverage gap. Closing this gap would allow nearly half a million Georgians to gain health coverage, so they can affordably go to the doctor and get medications when they’re sick.
How You Can Get Involved
Stay informed and make a difference! We will share details about upcoming meetings and opportunities to influence the Commission’s work. Consider attending an upcoming meeting to hear their discussions and learn from the presenters. Your engagement is crucial for ensuring that the Commission’s work moves our state towards a future in which all Georgians have access to quality, affordable health care.
Join the Cover Georgia coalition to receive action alerts, the latest information on coverage gap policies, and opportunities to share your health care story. By participating, you can directly influence the Commission’s efforts to expand health coverage and improve care for all Georgians.
Stay tuned for more updates about the Commission’s work and opportunities for you to get involved!