Publications — Georgia Healthcare Analysis

Tax Cuts for the Insurance Industry Will Do Little to Help Georgia’s Uninsured

A commentary by Timothy Sweeney (04/15/2008)

Analysis of HB 977

High Deductible Health Plan Tax Incentives and Insurance Law Changes (03/09/2008)

Increasing Georgia’s Low Cigarette Tax Would Yield Public Health Benefits

By increasing Georgia’s cigarette tax by $1 per pack an estimated 62,800 adult smokers would quit and 114,100 fewer youth would start smoking. Long term health savings are estimated at $222.3 million while state revenues would increase by $500 million. (02/26/2008)

Examining the Effects of Legislation Promoting High Deductible Health Plans

This brief analyzes the effects of various bills that are working there way through the General Assembly that would promote high deductible health plans. (02/25/2006)

Facts Concerning the Bi-Partisan Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 Vetoed by President Bush

(10/09/2007)

SCHIP Reauthorization Crucial for Continued Success of PeachCare

This report examines the success of SCHIP in its ten years, as well as the different reauthorization legislation passed by the U.S. House and Senate and the alternatives proposed by the President. (09/15/2007)

Senate Substitute to HB 340: Proposed Changes to PeachCare

This analysis highlights the proposed Senate changes to HB 340. (4/17/2007)

Analysis of HB 340

HB 340 reduces PeachCare eligibility from 235 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to 200 percent of FPL (while giving the Board of the Department of Community Health the authority to decrease eligibility further to 185 percent of FPL), models PeachCare after the State Health Benefit Plan as opposed to Medicaid, eliminates dental and vision coverage, and requires income and citizenship verification. (03/20/2007)

Retaining PeachCare Coverage – Examining Medicaid Expansion Programs

Instead of enacting reductions to eligibility levels and enrollment in Georgia’s PeachCare program, Georgia could pursue solutions that keep the program intact and ensure adequate healthcare coverage for Georgia’s children. One such option shift some of the lowest income children in the PeachCare program onto Medicaid, thus ensuring continued health coverage for these children and continued federal funding participation for the state of Georgia. (2/14/2007)

Analysis of HB 242: High Deductible Health Plan Tax Incentives (2/7/2007)

An Updated Analysis of Health Savings Accounts and Consumer Directed Health Plans

This brief examines the latest research on Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Consumer Directed Health Plans (CDHPs). (1/24/2007)

Lack of Federal Funds Leaving Peachcare for Kids Program in Jeopardy

This report contains an analysis of the Peachcare fore Kids federal funds shortage and recommended state actions. (01/15/2007)

Reforming Healthcare Brief #4: Medicaid Buy-in Programs for Individuals with Disabilities

This report examines policies and proposals states can and have implemented to help children and working-age individuals with disabilities obtain adequate, affordable health insurance. (08/15/2006)

Reforming Healthcare Brief #3: Addressing the Lack of Health Insurance for Georgia’s Children

This report examines the current children’s health insurance situation in Georgia and includes discussion of the significant barriers faced by children without health insurance. The report also analyzes the possible costs to the state to expand health insurance coverage to those children currently without insurance. (6/19/2006)

Georgia Medicaid Overview

This report provides current and prospective Georgia policy makers with the background to be able to examine the state’s Medicaid program, including who the program serves, how the services are administered and provided, and the role the program plays in the state’s healthcare system. (05/15/2006)

Reforming Healthcare Brief #2: Pay or Play Laws Seek to Increase Employer-Sponsored Insurance

This report examines “pay-or-play” laws that several states and localities have proposed and enacted in an effort to halt the decline in employer-sponsored health insurance. (05/05/2006)

Reforming Healthcare Brief #1: Taking a Closer Look at Health Savings Accounts

This is the first in a series of briefs examining the recent increases in healthcare costs, corresponding declines in employer-sponsored insurance and increases in the uninsured population, and policies the federal, state, and local governments are currently examining and pursuing to address these problems. (03/09/2006)

Medicaid Reform Policy Brief #4: What Does Budget Neutrality Mean?

This brief focuses on 1115 and 1915(c) waivers and discusses the concept of budget neutrality and cost neutrality. (1/12/2006)

Medicaid Reform Policy Brief#3: What Types of federal Medicaid Waivers Exist?

This brief examines the basic characteristics of various Medicaid Waivers and some of the limitations of each type of waiver. (1/12/2006)

Health Voices: Georgia’s Medicaid Program: A Briefing for Community Leaders

The Healthcare Georgia Foundation has published a Medicaid Policy Brief co-authored by Tim Sweeney of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute and Joan Alker of Georgetown University. (This link will take you away from the GBPI.org Web site) (01/010/2006)

Medicaid Reform Policy Brief #2: What are the Effects of Cost Sharing?

The Governor’s office is proposing dramatic programmatic changes in Medicaid through the development of a comprehensive Section 1115 Medicaid waiver. The Governor’s office has presented a concept paper describing the proposal to the federal government and is currently conducting meetings with legislators, providers, and community members to solicit input and advice in developing the details for a formal waiver request. In the second in a series of policy briefs, GBPI examines the ideas for increased cost sharing on the part of Medicaid and PeachCare enrollees. Cost sharing would establish more barriers to healthcare for low-income Georgians and would likely worsen the health status of Medicaid and PeachCare recipients, and lead to greater numbers of uninsured Georgians. (09/01/2005)

Medicaid Reform Policy Brief #1: What Could a Change in Medicaid Financing Mean For Georgia

The Governor’s office is proposing dramatic programmatic changes in Medicaid through the development of a comprehensive Section 1115 Medicaid waiver. The Governor’s office has presented a concept paper describing the proposal to the federal government and is currently conducting meetings with legislators, providers, and community members to solicit input and advice in developing the details for a formal waiver request. In the first of a series of policy briefs, GBPI examines the Governor’s proposals for changing the way that Medicaid is financed in Georgia. The Governor’s proposal would make a fundamental change in the way the Medicaid program is financed by changing the current matching system that provides Georgia with about $1.50 in federal funds for every dollar the state spends on the Medicaid program to a block grant/ annual allotment, which would limit the state to a fixed allotment of federal funds each year. (08/10/2005)

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