Most Americans get their health insurance from one of two providers: either through the government or from commercial health plans. While the government provides taxpayer-funded health insurance to seniors (Medicare) and to the low-income and disabled population (Medicaid), commercial health insurance is typically a benefit provided by employers or acquired by families and individuals on health insurance exchanges.
Despite the growing popularity of other methods to pay for healthcare, such as direct primary care, health care sharing ministries and utilizing price transparency platforms for the best cash pay rates, the government and commercial health plans remain the primary payers for providers.
Which brings us to Georgia.
In 2019, Gov. Kemp signed the Patients First Act into law, which authorized the Department of Community Health to pursue two waivers from the federal government to address both Medicaid and the private health insurance marketplace.
While the political and media discourse typically centers on the Medicaid waiver, immediately followed by appeals for a full expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, not enough attention is paid to what Georgia has achieved when it comes to commercial health insurance.
The Foundation recently published “Examining Georgia’s Health Insurance Marketplace,” a policy brief authored by Gregg Conley, former Executive Counsel to Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King. This brief analyzes how Georgia’s health insurance landscape has improved since Gov. Kemp took office in 2019, specifically with the strengthening of the private health insurance market.
We hope you will check out this week’s commentary on how we can provide the best health insurance for Georgians. We also have the latest news and analysis from the last week, including:
- Foundation nominated for national award for the second year in a row
- Metro Atlanta population hits 5.2 million in 11-county region this year
- Atlanta 9th most congested city in U.S.
- Green tax credits mostly go to the wealthy
Have a great weekend,
– Kyle Wingfield
Friday’s Freshest
Congress should increase oversight on runaway bureaucrats
Although estimates of the cost of regulation vary, they invariably are large. The latest edition of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s annual publication, “Ten Thousand Commandments,” put the cost of regulation at just under $2 trillion in 2022, or about 8% of the U.S. economy. The National Association of Manufacturers estimated this cost was nearly $3.1 trillion, closer to 12% of economic output. By either estimate, the cost of U.S. regulations is a heavy burden. And if the agencies won’t reform themselves, other branches of government can do something about this.
Supreme Court returns checks and balances to governing
For four decades, the judiciary has ceded the important power of reviewing executive agencies’ rules and regulations to the agencies themselves. Reasserting the court’s preeminence in interpreting the law is a key step toward more constitutional balance with the executive branch, which is merely meant to carry out laws.
Should the General Assembly regulate AI?
Ultimately, the policy discussion around AI comes down to a spirit of optimism vs one of caution. Guidelines that promote ethics and transparency are a large part of legislating AI, but lawmakers should err on the side of tech optimism.
For years, conservatives have dropped the ball on early childhood education policy, almost entirely ceding the playing field to the left. This has led to programs that lack guidance from some important conservative intuitions, like fiscal restraint, the centrality of family and the power of markets. Better alternatives exist. What do they look like?
Tort reform and Georgia’s judicial nightmare
In 2023, Georgia had the dubious honor of topping the American Tort Reform Association’s list of the country’s “Judicial Hellholes.” This was the second year in a row that Georgia held the No. 1 ranking – although this time it was a split title with Pennsylvania’s courts – due to what the ATRA calls an environment of lawsuit abuse and excessive tort costs. But there are now calls for reform.
The Latest
Economy
Metro Atlanta population hits 5.2 million in 11-county region this year
The Atlanta Regional Commission’s annual population estimates released this week show the region added 62,700 residents between April 2023 and April 2024, a slight downtick in growth from 2022-2023. ARC leaders said it’s a time of “steady, consistent growth” for the region.
Fortune 500 packaging giant to keep metro Atlanta HQ after $20B merger
One of Georgia’s largest companies finalized a $20 billion international merger earlier this month and confirmed it will continue to run its U.S. operations in metro Atlanta. Sandy Springs-based WestRock on July 5 completed its deal to merge with Dublin-based Smurfit Kappa, forming a new paper and packaging giant called Smurfit Westrock.
Government accountability
Georgia mail delivery ranked worst in the nation
Georgia ranked worst in the nation in on-time mail delivery during the second quarter of this year, according to a new report from the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. Only 63.7% of first-class mail in Georgia was delivered on time in April, May, and June, the agency reported. On time is defined as within two days.
Green tax credits mostly go to the wealthy
A new study by the Energy Institute of the Haas School of Business at the University of California-Berkeley analyzed who received the $47 billion in federal and state tax credits for solar panels, heat pumps, electric vehicles, and other clean energy technology. Using information from tax returns, they found that the credits have gone primarily to high-income households.
Housing
Prospective Georgia homebuyers eligible for up to $27,500 grant
Prospective homebuyers in Georgia needing help with down payments can get an assist from the state and a major banking organization. A partnership between the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta enables eligible homebuyers to receive a combined grant of up to $27,500 to put toward down payments and closing costs.
New Georgia Rural Workforce Housing grant recipients announced
Gov. Brian Kemp announced the fourth round of grant recipients from the Rural Workforce Housing Initiative. These grants total more than $10.3 million in infrastructure development, supporting nearly 312 housing units across five communities. The recipients include the cities of Blackshear, Gainesville, Reidsville and Slyvester and the Development Authority of Bulloch County.
New development plan could be approved at Effingham Co. Commission meeting
A potential developer’s plan in Effingham County could still go forward after it was denied Tuesday during a planning and zoning meeting. Carson Company Unlimited presented plans for a mixed-use development along Ebenezer and Long Bridge Roads. The development would include townhomes, a gas station, a mini storage unit, and a small recreational area.
Transportation
Atlanta 9th most congested city in U.S.
INRIX, Inc., a global leader in transportation data and analytics, released the 2023 Global Traffic Scorecard that identified and ranked congestion and commuting trends in nearly 1,000 cities, across 37 countries. New York City once again topped the global ranking, while Atlanta was ranked ninth most congested in the United States.
MARTA: Five Points Station project no longer ‘full steam ahead’
MARTA’s “full steam ahead” overhaul of its Five Points Station has flamed out — at least for now. Agency officials said they have paused a roughly $230 million Five Points Station upgrade amid concerns from some advocacy groups and local officials, including Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. The move came just days after the agency said the project was “full steam ahead.”
Nearly half of EV owners say they’ll go back to gas powered vehicles
In a survey released by McKinsey & Co. last month, 46% of current electric vehicle owners said they would likely switch back to an internal combustion engine vehicle next time. The most cited reason was inadequate charging facilities, followed by high cost of ownership and too much restriction on long-distance trips.
Bonus
Presidential election spending in Georgia projected to hit $244M
Political advertising in Georgia for the 2024 presidential election is predicted to reach $244 million, third-highest in the nation. Georgia is one of seven consensus battleground states. The others are North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona.
CNN CEO Mark Thompson is putting forth broad restructuring plans for the network, planning for digital subscription product launches by the end of 2024 and staff reductions of around 100 employees. Thompson outlined his digital vision in a memo to staff this week, which included plans to merge all of the network’s newsrooms, build out subscription offerings and lean heavily into digital video.
New legislative subcommittee to review prison safety
Speaker Jon Burns announced the creation of a special subcommittee to consider funding recommendations aimed at improving safety in the state’s prison system this week. The panel will function as a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. The Georgia Department of Corrections hired a consultant last month to conduct an assessment of Georgia prisons.
Quotes of the Week
“One can break the chains, even if they are made of iron, they can be broken. That’s what happened in my life.” – Gladys Yupanqui, from She Rises Up
“Sophisticated entities and their lawyers may be able to keep pace with rule changes affecting their rights and responsibilities. But ordinary people can do none of those things. They are the ones who suffer the worst kind of regulatory whiplash Chevron invites.” – Neil Gorsuch, Supreme Court Justice
“In the summer, the days were long, stretching into each other. Out of school, everything was on pause and yet happening at the same time, this collection of weeks when anything was possible.” – Sarah Dessen