As a health care provider at the Urban Clinic of Atlanta, a nonprofit organization that works to provide free medical services to uninsured and low income residents in Fulton County, Megan Boissonneault is no stranger to how access to care can change people’s lives for the better. “I’m thinking of a patient who I have […]
Medicaid
Posted inHealth, LGBTQ, Politics & Policy
From HIV to Hormone Therapy, Medicaid Cuts Threaten Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ Residents
As lawmakers push for sweeping cuts to Medicaid, fear weighs heavily on Tori Cooper. Cooper, a trans woman who serves as the director of strategic outreach and training for the Human Rights Campaign, told Capital B Atlanta that for her and other Black trans residents, these cuts will have a detrimental impact on their lives. […]
Posted inHealth, Partner Content, State Politics
Georgia’s Work Requirement Slows Processing of Applications for Medicaid, Food Stamps
This story was originally published by KFF Health News. Deegant Adhvaryu completed his parents’ applications for Medicaid and food benefits in June. Then the waiting and frustration began. In July, his parents, Haresh and Nina Adhvaryu, received a letter saying their applications would be delayed, he said. In August, the Adhvaryus started calling a Georgia […]
Posted inHealth, Transportation
Patients Are Relying on Lyft, Uber to Travel Far Distances to Medical Care
This article was published by KFF Health News. When Lyft driver Tramaine Carr transports seniors and sick patients to hospitals in Atlanta, she feels like both a friend and a social worker. “When the ride is an hour or an hour and a half of mostly freeway driving, people tend to tell you what they’re […]
Posted inHealth, Politics & Policy
Dems Make Final, Desperate Plea for Medicaid Expansion Ahead of Sine Die
Georgia Democrats clung to hope Wednesday that there was still time to enact desperately needed full Medicaid expansion this year before the latest 40-day legislative session comes to an end Thursday. State Democratic Party leaders, including House Minority Leader James Beverly, D-Macon, and Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler, D-Stone Mountain, issued a desperate plea for […]
Posted inReproductive Health
The Biggest Barrier to State-Funded Doulas for Pregnant Women
The discussion around offering state-funded doulas to low-income pregnant people might be headed back to the Georgia legislature, advocates and lawmakers say. Supportive legislators are planning to introduce a bill that would allow the state’s Medicaid dollars to fund doula services in an effort to reduce maternal deaths in Georgia. The state has among the […]
Posted inHealth
How Georgia Launching Its Own Health Insurance Marketplace Could Hurt Black Patients
Health equity advocates are urging Gov. Brian Kemp and other healthcare officials to delay the implementation of a state-based marketplace exchange. Last month, Kemp signed legislation that gave the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire (OCI) the authority to launch a state-based marketplace exchange. This move would allow the state to exit HealthCare.gov, the […]
Posted inHealth, Social Welfare
With Black Residents at Risk of Losing Medicaid, These Orgs Are Here to Help
Starting next month, millions of Georgia residents will have their Medicaid eligibility reevaluated, and local grassroots organizations are mobilizing to keep Black communities informed. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which, among many things, required states to keep people enrolled on Medicaid through the end of […]
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
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 […]