Health Justice Timothy Sweeney Struggling Health Care System Just Part of What Ails Rural Georgia November 20, 2015 / January 17, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney Georgia is burdened with a host of health challenges across the state, from an uninsured rate that ranks among the highest in the nation to its lack of health care providers. This figures to be exacerbated by a financial crisis at the rural hospital in Fort Oglethorpe this month. Many patients lack access to needed […] Read more » health Hospitals Rural
Featured Health Justice Reports Timothy Sweeney Understanding Medicaid in Georgia and the Opportunity to Improve It September 23, 2015 / January 17, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute and Georgians for a Healthy Future today announce the joint release of “Understanding Medicaid in Georgia and the Opportunity to Improve It.” In this three-part booklet you will find infographics, new data and compelling charts that simplify the complex issue of Medicaid in Georgia. Part one explains who gets […] Read more »
Health Justice Timothy Sweeney Georgia’s Need to Close Coverage Gap Flagged by New Census Report September 23, 2015 / January 17, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney Nearly 300,000 fewer Georgians went without health insurance in 2014 compared to 2013, a decline of about 15 percent, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau data. This improvement is no doubt good news for these newly insured Georgians. Many of them enrolled in health insurance plans thanks to new financial help available provided through […] Read more » health medicaid Medicaid Expansion Tim Sweeney
Blog Health Justice Timothy Sweeney Supreme Court Ruling Frees Georgia to Turn Attention to Closing Coverage Gap June 25, 2015 / January 16, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney Today the U.S. Supreme Court again upheld a key component of the Affordable Care Act against a politically-driven effort to dismantle the law through the court system. The ruling issued in King v. Burwell protects tax credits in states such as Georgia that chose to use the federal healthcare.gov marketplace rather than create their own […] Read more » health Tim Sweeney
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 »