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!

Job Description: Coverage Captains County Engagement Leaders

The Cover Georgia coalition works together to expand access to health care for all Georgians, especially those who can least afford it. Led by Georgians for a Healthy Future (GHF)*, Cover Georgia educates Georgians and state leaders about the opportunity to close Georgia’s coverage gap so that low-income Georgia adults have health coverage. (This is sometimes called Medicaid expansion.)

Cover Georgia needs local people to help their communities understand this issue, connect more organizations and individuals to the coalition, and educate elected officials about closing Georgia’s coverage gap!  

A Coverage Captain is a part-time, paid, contract position that will include monthly meetings and coordinating community outreach events. You will serve as the point person for your county (or small group of counties).

We are looking for community members to serve as Coverage Captains in the following counties: Clarke; Dougherty (and neighboring counties); Effingham, Liberty, or Bryan; Hall; Houston; and Whitfield (or neighboring counties). 

Goal: Expand awareness of health coverage issues and benefits of Medicaid expansion/closing the coverage gap in Georgia 

Ideal Candidate: This opportunity is suited for someone who values their community ties and enjoys working with others to improve public health systems. We seek a dedicated, people-oriented individual to join the Cover Georgia coalition and our partners in tackling health care disparities.

Primary responsibility: Advocate on a county (or several county) level via speaking engagements and community outreach. 

Captain responsibilities include:

• • Attend two initial training sessions (plus additional as needed) provided by Cover Georgia coalition
  • Attend coalition/workgroup meetings twice monthly to provide updates (mainly via Zoom)
  • Advise statewide coalition workgroup on the best approach to engaging the community in influencing their legislators. 
  • Help plan and organize 1-2 local events, forums, and/or educational sessions about Medicaid expansion 
  • Identify planned community events or regular forums where it would be appropriate to provide information closing the coverage gap
  • Recruit organizations and community leaders to join the Cover Georgia coalition, including but not limited to local clinics, businesses, churches, social service or civic organizations, etc.
  • Help recruit appropriate community members/leaders to tell personal stories, discuss why they support expansion, and/or write op-eds 
  • Weekend work may be required to attend community events and meetings.
• Dedicate approx. 15 hours per month to the above responsibilities

Cover Georgia coalition will:

• Provide training to captains
• Develop and provide information and materials for local events, forums, and/or educational sessions
• As desired, provide speakers at events, forums, or educational sessions
• As necessary, support the costs of materials, venues, refreshments, and mileage
• Help with logistics as needed

Compensation

Local captains will be paid a monthly stipend of $265 from August–April 2025. 

How to apply

To complete an application click here or use this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCGz5uMfemlSCGmrrGlFoC2mu92bp6qQePzukYBLL2E7ARtw/viewform?usp=sf_link

*Georgians for a Healthy Future is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization.

Statement from the Cover Georgia coalition:

The Cover Georgia coalition applauds the appointments made by Governor Kemp and legislative leaders to the Comprehensive Health Coverage Commission. Established by HB 1339, the Commission will spend the next 18 months advising state leaders and policy makers about issues related to access and quality of health care for low-income and uninsured Georgians.  The Cover Georgia coalition looks forward to the Commission’s work to study opportunities and find solutions that improve the health and well-being of all Georgians, particularly those with limited resources.

With such experienced and diverse members, the Cover Georgia coalition is confident that the Commission will carry out a community-driven process that engages the Georgians at the center of their charges.

“We stand ready to support the Commission in connecting with and hearing from low-income and uninsured individuals and families across the state through public-facing meetings and community input sessions,” said Georgians for a Healthy Future Executive Director Laura Colbert. “Hearing the voices of those directly impacted is an essential component of developing relevant findings and recommendations to share with state leaders.”

Through a community-focused process, Cover Georgia coalition partners anticipate that Commission members will hear from Georgians about one of the largest holes in Georgia’s health care system: the state’s health insurance coverage gap. This gap leaves thousands of low-income adults uninsured without any options for affordable, quality health coverage.

Closing Georgia’s coverage gap would enable nearly half a million uninsured and low-income adults to become newly insured so they can see a doctor when they’re sick and get medicines to help them get and stay healthy. Closing the gap is the most meaningful, affordable, and practical solution that the Commission could recommend state leaders take action on in the near term.

The Cover Georgia coalition is heartened by the opportunity that the Commission and its work present to work together towards a brighter future when all Georgians have quality, affordable health coverage and access to care. 

As we approach Juneteenth, let’s celebrate the progress that has been made towards racial equality in the U.S., and pause to assess the gaps and inequities that still affect the Black community. At Cover Georgia, we are and know Black Georgians remain uninsured and stuck in our state’s coverage gap. These individuals work hard earning low wages, caring for loved ones, or managing chronic health conditions while in a vulnerable position: unable to afford private insurance and ineligible for Medicaid.

13% of Black Georgians are uninsured (3 percentage points higher than white Georgians), and Black workers make up nearly half (46%) of Georgia’s uninsured low-income workers. They are also more likely to have medical debt in collections than white Georgians, partly due to higher uninsured rates.

Because of structural barriers that kept Black people out of good jobs and blocked them from other economic and health opportunities, Black Georgians are more likely to have poor health or have a disability. The unlevel playing field has led to higher rates of chronic conditions (like asthma or diabetes) among Black Georgians. Closing Georgia’s coverage gap is one of the easiest and most powerful actions our state leaders can take to reduce close racial health gaps, support economic mobility, and ensure that health care is a right, not a privilege, for all Georgians. 

When Georgia’s gap is closed, an estimated 130,000 Black Georgians and more than 400,000 total Georgians would gain coverage. We need your support to turn this vision into reality. Reach out to your state lawmakers today and urge them to close the coverage gap.

Thank you for sharing your Pathways program experiences with state leaders!

On December 7th, the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) held a public forum about the Georgia Pathways to Coverage program. The forum included an opportunity for Georgians to provide feedback about the program.

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This Veterans Day, let’s talk about our military heroes and their health. It’s the least we can do for those who sacrificed to serve our country and protect our freedom. But not all Veterans can get the affordable, quality health coverage that they need and deserve – and many are being left behind. As of 2020, across the country, there are more than 1 million Veterans who can’t access the critical physical and mental health care they need. In Georgia, 14,000 veterans cannot access care because our state lawmakers are refusing to close the coverage gap. 

As we come together to honor our Veterans and the sacrifices they made to keep us safe, we must urge our elected leaders to bridge the coverage gap by expanding Medicaid. One in every five uninsured Georgia Veterans (and their families) would be able to get the essential health coverage they need to stay healthy and thrive.

Contrary to the wide-spread misconception that all veterans receive health services at the Veteran’s Administration (VA), veterans can be uninsured for several reasons. Those who serve for less than two years, or have an “other than honorable” discharge, may not be eligible for VA benefits. Moreover, eligibility status is prioritized according to a history of service-related injuries and income, among other factors; those in lower priority groups may be denied services. Some veterans may also be unaware of their current eligibility for VA benefits, either because they have never applied, or because they have been rejected in the past.

Medicaid expansion has made a significant difference in communities across the country by allowing residents to secure affordable, high-quality health coverage for themselves and their loved ones. 

Veterans and their families deserve access to quality care. It has been reported that less than half of returning Veterans receive the mental health support and treatment they need. With Medicaid, vital mental health services like therapy, inpatient treatment, and prescription medication are all covered. Expanding Medicaid and closing the coverage gap would allow more Veterans and their families to access essential and potentially life-saving mental health services.

Georgia Veterans protected our freedom and served our country. This Veterans Day, let’s honor them by fighting for Medicaid expansion. It’s past time for state lawmakers to act so all Veterans and their families have access to the healthcare they need and deserve. 

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This month, Cover Georgia celebrates Breast Cancer Awareness month and all the Georgia women who are affected by this disease, including Yosha Dotson. We also celebrate that Medicaid covers low-income women fighting Breast and Cervical cancers.

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September is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Month

One in four uninsured Georgians who also have low-incomes have a mental illness and/or addiction to drugs or alcohol. Right now, these Georgians often cannot access health services to help them recover except through our state’s limited mental health safety net. These Georgians–our friends and neighbors–could be covered and find better help if Georgia leaders expanded Medicaid to low-income adults.

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Since 2010, 10 rural hospitals have closed in Georgia. That puts Georgia fifth in the nation for hospital closures. Rural hospitals in states that have not expanded Medicaid to low-income adults are more likely to close, shutting off access to care for their communities and residents.

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Georgia is one of 10 states that has not yet expanded Medicaid. Our leaders’ in action leaves thousands of low-income Georgia adults without health insurance.

Instead of expanding Medicaid, Governor Kemp created a new program called Georgia Pathways to Coverage. This program will cover some low-income adults, but it has a lot of rules and requirements.

To qualify for Pathways, you must meet all of these four requirements:

• Be a U.S. citizen or a qualified permanent resident
• Be between the ages of 19 and 64
• Have an income below the poverty line. (If you don’t know if your income is below the poverty line, use the chart below.)
• Be working or doing other qualifying activities for at least 80 hours per month.

If you are uninsured and meet these requirements, you can apply for Pathways. You can apply online at gateway.ga.gov or by phone at 1-877-423-4746.

If you need assistance with your application, GHF’s enrollment assisters are here to help! Click here to ask for their assistance.

What does this mean for Georgians?

Pathways is a complicated program with many rules and restrictions, so we expect only a fraction of eligible Georgians will get covered through the program. The Governor and his administration have estimated that between 31,000-100,000 Georgians will be able to enroll in Pathways. (Full Medicaid expansion would cover more than 400,000 Georgians.)

Some people who are likely to be left out include:

• Stay-at-home parents
• Caregivers for aging family members or children with a disability
• People in mental health or addiction recovery programs
• Rural residents and people of color who live in areas where good jobs are hard to find
• People who do not have reliable internet access or a car

These folks may not meet the requirements for Pathways or won’t be able to keep up with the tedious monthly reporting. They will likely be left behind.

Medicaid expansion: an easier, better solution

Pathways is a broken bridge that lets too many Georgians and too much money fall through the cracks. Because of its complications and restrictions, thousands of Georgians will remain uninsured, and our state’s tax dollars–which are meant to help families access health care and keep hospitals open–will sit unused in Washington, D.C.

Georgians deserve better. We deserve access to affordable, quality health care regardless of how little money is in our wallets. We deserve healthy hospitals whose doors are open to care for their communities. We deserve to visit the doctor when we’re sick and fill a prescription without worrying about whether to pay our rent or the medical bill.

Luckily Georgia leaders can replace Pathways with a program that is simpler, covers more people, costs less per person, and meets our state’s needs: Medicaid expansion! 

How you can help

Here are some things you can do to get Georgians covered and keep up the calls for Medicaid expansion:

• Spread the word about Pathways. Tell the uninsured Georgians in your life about the program and encourage them to apply. Here is some helpful information to print and share:
  • Uninsured in Georgia? flier
  • Information about Pathways from the Georgia Department of Community Health
• If you apply for the Pathways program, tell us about it! We want to know if you got covered or were turned away. Record your story and enter a monthly $100 give away, sponsored by our partners at Vocal Video! GHF is committed to directly compensating select storytellers with electronic gift cards!
  • If you are helping people enroll in Pathways, we want to hear from you too! 
• Speak up for Medicaid expansion! Ask the Governor and our state legislators to expand Medicaid when they return to the state Capitol in January 2024.
  • Don’t know what to say? We’ve got you covered. Here are some fast facts about Medicaid expansion that you can use to write or call your state leaders.

By working together, we can make sure that all Georgians–regardless of how much or little money they have–have health coverage and the access to care that comes with an insurance card.