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Public hearings on healthcare waivers in Rome Thursday

November 18, 2019–11:36 a.m.

STAFF REPORTS

Rome area residents will be able to give their input regarding healthcare waivers requested by the State of Georgia.

In March, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed The Patients First Act into law.

It authorizes the Georgia Department of Community Health to submit a waiver request to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and identify innovative health insurance coverage solutions for the commercial health insurance marketplace.

Two public hearings will be held Thursday at The Well at West Rome Baptist Church on Shorter Avenue, according to State Representative Katie Dempsey.

“The first one is the waiver that deals with pathways and it’s at 9 a.m. and the second one is at 1 p.m. and deals with access,” she said.  “The only way government actually does better is for the public to engage.”

Dempsey urged everyone to look at the waivers and to see ways that you think they could be made better.

The first waiver would provide a pathway to Medicaid for working Georgians with household incomes of up to 95% of the Federal Poverty Level.

You can view it here.

Meanwhile, the Georgia Access Model would allow customers to shop for and compare available plans through multiple channels.

Residents may use commercial market web-brokers or buy directly from carriers and still receive state subsidies, if eligible.

You can view that waiver here.

You can get more information on the Patients First Act here.