Celeste Lomax has been working at Urban Food Forest at Browns Mill in southeast Atlanta for six years. This time of year, the trees and bushes are still dormant and leafless, but the soil underneath is rich and moist — as Lomax, the site’s food steward, reveals as she digs up an elderberry tree pup. […]
Health
Posted inHealth
Why a New Law Denying Health Care for Trans Youth Has Local Black Advocates Worried
Black LGBTQIA+ advocates are concerned about legislation in Georgia aimed at restricting medical care for transgender children. On Thursday, Gov. Brian Kemp announced he signed Senate Bill 140, which will prohibit certain gender-affirming care for transgender minors. Doctors who offer the banned care will face serious consequences, including losing their medical license. SB 140 would […]
Posted inHealth
We Spoke to an Expert About Medicaid Unwinding in Georgia. Here’s What We Learned.
The countdown is officially underway. In just over two weeks, the state will start the process of reviewing and reevaluating eligibility for the 2.7 million people in Georgia on Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids. Under the federal continuous coverage mandate, which has been in place since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, states were required […]
Posted inHealth
Civil Rights Complaint Alleges Wellstar Neglected Black Communities
A group of local lawmakers is alleging that Wellstar Health System discriminated against its Black patients when the nonprofit hospital system closed two hospitals in 2022. On Wednesday, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution sponsored by Chairman Robb Pitts calling for the county attorney to file a complaint with the Department of […]
Posted inHealth
Your Medicaid Coverage Could Change Next Month. Here’s What to Know.
If you’re on Medicaid in Georgia, there could be major changes to your coverage in the near future. Starting on April 1, the state will start the process of reviewing and reevaluating eligibility for the 2.7 million people on Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids. According to local experts, it’s estimated that more than 500,000 residents […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
Advocates Launch ‘Abortion Bans Are Racist’ Campaign
A reproductive rights group wants Georgia lawmakers to know that the state’s tough abortion laws disproportionately harmed people of color. Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity — or URGE — a Washington, D.C.-based group that focuses its advocacy on reproductive justice, launched a campaign on Martin Luther King Jr. Day called “Abortion Bans Are Racist.” […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
Pregnant Women in Georgia Could Qualify for Welfare. Here’s What We Know.
Expecting mothers in low-income households might get some relief if new legislation is passed. Under House Bill 129, filed on behalf of Gov. Brian Kemp, pregnant women who qualify can apply for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, also known as welfare. HB 129 is just one part of Kemp’s initiative to solve the state’s maternal […]
Posted inHealth, Mental Health
Confess Project Uses Barbershops to Cut Stigma of Black Mental Health
This story comes from our partners at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. For more on the news, trends and events shaping Black culture in Atlanta, sign up for the Unapologetically ATL newsletter and read more here. Samuel Glickman was worried when one of his clients stopped coming in for his regular haircuts last year. Glickman’s Privado barbershop — located on […]
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From Medicaid Expansion to Abortion, Here’s What Georgia Lawmakers Are Discussing
The General Assembly is back in session, and health care is on the minds of lawmakers. It’s the first session in a post-Roe v. Wade Georgia. The assembly’s return comes as the Biden administration seeks to wind down the federal emergency pandemic response, putting the majority of responsibility into the hands of state governments and […]
Posted inCOVID-19, Health
There’s a New COVID-19 Variant Spreading. Here’s What We Know.
President Joe Biden might have declared, “The pandemic is over,” but a new Omicron subvariant is a reminder that COVID-19 is still with us. The new culprit behind a rise in COVID-19 cases is the XBB.1.5 variant. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, XBB.1.5 represents over 27% of COVID-19 cases nationwide. In […]