Peach Care For Kids

Co-pays planned for kids on PeachCare

The co-payment amounts were slightly tweaked from a plan submitted for public comment in July. The plan also would increase co-payments already required for some Medicaid recipients.

The PeachCare for Kids plan has never required co-pays. Families with children ages 6 and older pay premiums for the coverage. PeachCare covers children who do not qualify for Medicaid and come from families with incomes up to 235 percent of the federal poverty level.

The new co-pays are being implemented to ease the pressure on the state budget and could save about $3.4 million this fiscal year if implemented on Nov. 1. Advocates said the co-pays might discourage people from seeking care.

Some doctors said simply having change available to handle a co-pay for a typical doctor visit -- $2.45 -- would be a burden. The state subtracts the amount of the co-payment when reimbursing a provider regardless of whether the patient paid the fee. That could mean lower overall payments for doctors on top of provider cuts already implemented by the state this year.

"If a mother brings in a sick child, we're going to see that patient whether or not they have the co-payment -- that winds up being a cut to our practice," said Dr. Kathryn K. Cheek, president of the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatricians.

The Department of Community Health will take comments on the proposal at a public hearing Sept. 27 and in writing through Sept. 30.

Healthy Debate GA | Medicaid and PeachCare Advocacy Opportunity

At the end of July, the Department of Community Health (DCH) awarded the Medicaid redesign assessment contract to Navigant Consulting.  The purpose of the redesign process is to analyze options to manage Medicaid and PeachCare financing, as well as explore improvements in the delivery of affordable, quality, health care for the programs and their recipients.  As part of the contract, Navigant will hold up to 30 stakeholder focus groups across the state, in cities yet to be announced.   Part of the state environmental scan, the intent of these focus groups is to provide a forum for Georgia-specific input from providers, other agencies, advocates, and others affected by Medicaid and PeachCare to provide useful information to both Navigant and DCH as this process unfolds.  If you or your organization would like to participate in these focus groups, you can submit an application online here . The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, September 13th.

Georgians for a Healthy Future, in collaboration with Voices for Georgia’s Children, is actively engaged in monitoring the redesign process and establishing priorities and best practices around coverage, access, and health outcomes for children that we would like any redesign to incorporate and finding opportunities to advocate for those changes.  We are committed to sharing opportunities for other advocates to weigh in on the process as well.  As more opportunities present themselves, we will be sure to share them with you, the key stakeholders and advocates who are directly impacted by the Medicaid and PeachCare programs.

According to the DCH website, as part of its evaluative work, Navigant will:

1.

Cutting for Stone, A Novel

Water for elephants, a novel

The Case for Christ, A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus

Looking for Alaska

Waiting for Godot (Eng Rev), A Tragicomedy in Two Acts