GBPI In The News Kemp Rolls Out Medicaid Plans October 18, 2020 / October 23, 2020 by Alex Welch Federal health officials have given formal approval to Gov. Brian Kemp’s request for a waiver to expand health coverage options for low-income Georgians. Laura Harker of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, which supports Medicaid expansion, points out that the Georgia waiver will not receive the 90% federal match that an expansion would provide. The […] Read more » health medicaid Medicaid Expansion waivers
GBPI In The News Challenges Loom After Federal Approval of Kemp Health Plan October 16, 2020 / October 23, 2020 by Alex Welch Gov. Brian Kemp held a signing ceremony at the Georgia Capitol to mark the federal approval of a plan he says will help put insurance cards in the hands of residents who make too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to qualify for subsidies on the federal exchange. The $218 million-per year plan […] Read more » health medicaid Medicaid Expansion waivers
GBPI In The News Audit: GA Medicaid oversight is uncoordinated, risks overpaying, fraud July 21, 2020 / July 23, 2020 by Alex Welch Georgia’s faulty oversight of private Medicaid management contractors has left the state’s Medicaid program vulnerable to overpaying for health care and to fraud, a state auditor’s report has found. Over seven years from 2013 to 2019, a total of $41 million in claims the contractors paid out for Medicaid “were not subject to adequate oversight […] Read more » Budget COVID-19 health insurance health-care medicaid
GBPI In The News Clean Slate would be a boon for many Georgians July 20, 2020 / March 12, 2021 by Caitlin Highland When the sunset on Gov. Nathan Deal’s administration, many believed that Georgia’s criminal justice reform era had ended, but it appears that the Peach State may be getting its second wind. […] Consider this: According to the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, “Nearly 600,000 Georgians are living with a felony conviction — one in nine […] Read more » Criminal Justice Reform revenue Unemployment
GBPI In The News Georgia Lottery transfers $1.23B for education in fiscal year 2020 July 16, 2020 / July 17, 2020 by Alex Welch The Georgia Lottery collected $30 million more for education in fiscal year 2020 than the previous fiscal year despite the economic downturn caused by the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the Georgia Lottery Act for Education, net proceeds from the Georgia Lottery help support educational programs in the state. […] A little less than […] Read more » Budget COVID-19 Higher Education K-12 Lottery revenue
GBPI In The News Georgia parents pushed to make IRL/online school choice soon July 8, 2020 / July 17, 2020 by Caitlin Highland School districts around Georgia are announcing plans to reopen in a few weeks and many parents are agonizing over a choice between sending their children into close-quarters in-person classes as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, or — if their work schedule allows — keeping them at home to study online, potentially slowing their academic and […] Read more » Budget Budget Cuts COVID-19 federal funds K-12 local and state funds
GBPI In The News State Budget Cuts $1.2 Billion From Education July 8, 2020 / July 17, 2020 by Alex Welch Georgia K-12 schools will lose nearly $1 billion and public colleges and universities $250 million under the budget approved by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp last week. But at least there will be no furloughs. […] “As these cuts go into effect and Georgia’s schools, health care institutions and more are […] Read more » Budget Budget Cuts Higher Education K-12 raising revenue
GBPI In The News Political Rewind: Uncertainty For Families, School Kids Looking Ahead to Fall July 7, 2020 / July 17, 2020 by Alex Welch […] Under a cloud of the pandemic, school systems are asking parents to decide whether to send their children back to classrooms or continue online learning. […] Dr. Stephen Owens, with the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, said budget cuts risk exacerbating the situation. “The uncertainty of how many students will be in the classroom […] Read more » Budget Budget Cuts COVID-19 K-12
GBPI In The News Mayor Bottoms, Councilmember Farokhi explore guaranteed income for citizens July 4, 2020 / July 17, 2020 by Caitlin Highland Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has joined a new group of mayors calling for a guaranteed income to their citizens. The Mayors for a Guaranteed Income coalition “will explore cash payment programs in their cities for guaranteed income programs,” according to a city press release. The idea of a guaranteed income is an unrestricted cash […] Read more » COVID-19 income-inequality racial equity
GBPI In The News Tobacco tax increase surfaces in General Assembly July 1, 2020 / July 17, 2020 by Caitlin Highland […] “Lifting the tobacco tax will simultaneously help our state fund critical priorities, such as health and education, and boost health outcomes,” said Danny Kanso, a GBPI policy analyst. “GBPI commends Chairman Chuck Hufstetler, R-rome) and the Senate Finance Committee for their leadership in passing legislation that will generate several hundred million dollars per year […] Read more » Budget Budget Cuts Higher Education Unemployment