Author Blog Health Justice Timothy Sweeney Mixed Bag for Georgians’ Health Care in 2015 Legislature April 27, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney Georgia lawmakers left town earlier this month after producing a 2016 state spending plan that invests no more money overall for health care than the state did last year. Georgia ranks near the bottom of all states for health care investment and the consequences include hundreds of thousands of uninsured Georgians and hospitals that struggle […] Read more » health Tim Sweeney
Health Justice Timothy Sweeney Missed Opportunity to Extend Health Care to More Georgians April 2, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney Georgia is home to the fifth most residents without health coverage of any state according to 2013 data, the latest available. Despite this poor ranking, Georgia’s leaders continue to refuse new federal funding to close Georgia’s coverage gap. Accepting this money could extend health coverage to as many as 500,000 uninsured Georgians, while pumping billions of dollars into […] Read more » Affordable Care Act health medicaid Medicaid Expansion Tim Sweeney
Health Justice Timothy Sweeney Lawmakers Can Use Legislative Offseason to Get Serious About Health Care April 1, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney | 2 Comments on Lawmakers Can Use Legislative Offseason to Get Serious About Health Care Education reform? Check. More revenue for transportation maintenance? Check. What’s missing here? Ahhh, Georgia’s ailing health care system didn’t get much attention from state lawmakers as they wound down the 2015 session this week. Kudos to House and Senate leaders who compromised on a transportation plan. We can all agree improving the opportunity for Georgia’s […] Read more » health Tim Sweeney
Author Blog Health Justice Timothy Sweeney Georgia Falls to Second Worst Uninsured Rate in U.S. March 3, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney Georgia fell further behind nearly all other states in ensuring access to health coverage for its residents in 2014, according to a new Gallup Health-Ways Well-Being Index report. Georgia ranked sixth in the 2013 Gallup survey. More than 19 percent of adults in Georgia went without health insurance in 2014, which is more than 5 […] Read more »
Author Blog Health Justice Timothy Sweeney Tossing More Than 20,000 Georgians off State Health Plan a Bad Remedy February 24, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney Tossing non-certified school district workers who work less than 30 hours per week off the State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) could unnecessarily push more Georgians into the insurance coverage gap. Gov. Nathan Deal’s proposal to remove more than 11,500 part time school district employees and 10,300 of their dependents from the plan threatens hardship for […] Read more »
Author Fact Sheets Health Justice K-12 Education Library Policy Areas Timothy Sweeney Health Plan Financial Challenges Remain if State Ends Coverage for Part-Time School Workers and Their Dependents February 24, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney Georgia’s governor proposes in the 2016 fiscal year to eliminate State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) coverage for bus drivers, school nutrition workers and other “non-certified” school district employees who work fewer than 30 hours per week. This move could take insurance away from more than 21,000 people while leaving the plan’s more substantial financial challenges […] Read more »
Author Blog Timothy Sweeney Georgia’s Planned 2016 Health Spending – Modest Changes, Big Challenges February 12, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney The proposed 2016 state budget directs $3.6 billion from the general fund to Georgia’s three health care focused agencies, the departments of community health, public health, and behavioral health and developmental disabilities. The total reaches $4.2 billion when you add in provider fees levied on hospitals and nursing homes in Georgia and Tobacco Settlement money, […] Read more » Affordable Care Act health medicaid Medicaid Expansion Tim Sweeney
Author Budget and Taxes Health Justice Library Policy Areas Reports Timothy Sweeney Overview: 2016 Fiscal Year for Department of Community Health February 10, 2015 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney The governor’s proposed 2016 budget directs $2.45 billion to the Department of Community Health, not including money for agencies attached for administrative purposes. That is a $27.8 million decline from the 2015 budget approved last spring. The department operates nine programs, although more than 96 percent of general fund spending, or about $2.36 billion, is […] Read more » State Budget
Author Fact Sheets Health Justice Library Policy Areas Timothy Sweeney Medicaid Expansion a Shot in the Arm for Coastal Georgia September 8, 2014 / January 17, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney About 50,000 uninsured Georgians in the 10-county Coastal Georgia region could get guaranteed health coverage if Georgia accepts new federal money to expand Medicaid eligibility. That is about half the area residents between 18 and 64 without health coverage in 2012, the last year of available data. It’s the third largest number of residents of […] Read more »
Author Blog Health Justice Timothy Sweeney New Report: Georgia’s Medicaid Opposition to Cost $34 Billion August 14, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney Georgia’s refusal to expand Medicaid to cover more than 500,000 uninsured people will cost the state’s health care system about $34 billion in federal money over the next decade, according to a new report by two well-respected research organizations. Georgia’s hospitals alone will lose out on almost $13 billion. That money could go a long […] Read more »
