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Articles by Leah Chan
Statement to the Proposed Amendment to Georgia Pathways to Coverage Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver Public Notice
On September 14, 2026, GBPI issued a comment on the proposed amendment to Georgia Pathways to Coverage Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver Public Notice. GBPI urges the Department of Community Health to update the amendment request with additional information on projected cost and enrollment and to remove any reference to discontinuing coverage for low-income Georgians. Read our full comment here. Support GBPI Today The Georgia Budget & Policy Institute is a 501(c)3 organization.
Georgia Health Primer for State Fiscal Year 2027
Sign up to receive a physical copy of the Georgia Budget Primer here. View more sections of the 2027 budget primer here. Georgia’s State Health Budget Over the Past Eight Years Under Gov. Kemp’s administration, total state fund appropriations dedicated to the state’s three primary health agencies have grown from almost $5 billion in FY 2020 to about $7.8 billion in FY 2027 (excluding their administratively attached agencies).
Overview: 2027 Fiscal Year Budget for the Georgia Department of Community Health
Table of Contents show Introduction Among a range of duties, the Department of Community Health administers the state’s healthcare safety net, reimburses hospitals for services provided to uninsured and underinsured Georgians, manages health insurance coverage for state and school system employees and regulates health care and long-term care facilities.
Overview: 2027 Fiscal Year Budget for the Georgia Department of Public Health
Table of Contents show Introduction The Department of Public Health’s (DPH) programs focus on health promotion and health-related disaster response and preparedness, as well as disease and injury prevention. Over 5,000 state and county public health workers fill a range of critical roles in their communities, from inspecting restaurants to prevent foodborne illness to providing vision and hearing, screening so children are prepared for school.
Overview: 2027 Fiscal Year Budget for the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
Table of Contents show Introduction Among a range of duties, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) operates five state psychiatric hospitals, provides evaluation and treatment for individuals under the jurisdiction of the court system to determine their competency to stand trial and provides community-based services to Georgians living with mental health conditions, substance use disorders and developmental disabilities.
Georgia Experts Applaud House Study Committee’s Public Health Report and Urge Sustained Legislative Action For a Safer, Healthier Georgia
ATLANTA, GA — Georgia public health experts and advocates applaud the release of recommendations from the House Study Committee on Evaluating Funding for Public Health.
Pathways to Coverage: Looking Back Two Years and Into the Future
Table of Contents show In July 2023 Georgia launched the Pathways to Coverage program, which provides a new Medicaid option to uninsured, low-income adults who can report working, going to school, or engaging in other qualifying activities for at least 80 hours per month. The program covers many of the same medical services as traditional Medicaid, including doctor visits, hospital stays and prescriptions.
Georgia’s State and Local Public Health System Supports Healthy Communities and a Strong Economy
Support GBPI Today The Georgia Budget & Policy Institute is a 501(c)3 organization. We depend on the support of donors like you. Your contribution makes the work that we do possible. By notice issued on 7/2/25, the Department of Labor (DOL, henceforth “the Department”) has published Read More > The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute’s (GBPI) mission is to advance lasting solutions that expand Read More > Georgia is often cited as “no.
Fast Facts: Funding for Georgia’s State and Local Public Health System
Table of Contents show Georgia’s health security and economic well-being depend on a modernized, fully funded state and local public health system. This brief provides policymakers and advocates with a brief overview of how Georgia funds public health. For more background on the importance of public health, please read this fact sheet. Less than $1 in every $10 state general fund dollars spent on Georgia’s three primary health agencies goes to the Department of Public Health.
Georgians could see hospital closures and reduced health coverage due to Medicaid changes in New Federal Law
Support GBPI Today The Georgia Budget & Policy Institute is a 501(c)3 organization. We depend on the support of donors like you. Your contribution makes the work that we do possible. Read More > On July 21, 2025, GBPI’s President and CEO, Staci Fox, submitted the following formal comment Read More > The role of government in society is to enact policies that are needed to advance Read More >
Georgia Health Primer for State Fiscal Year 2026
Read More of the 2026 Budget Primer here. Georgia’s 2026 Health Budget The Departments of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), Community Health (DCH) and Public Health (DPH) are the primary agencies focused on the state’s health care and public health systems. Georgia plans to provide almost $7.7 billion in state funds for these three agencies. General fund appropriations account for $6.9 billion, or about 90%, of their state funding.
Federal Budget Legislation Proposes Historical Medicaid Cuts With Serious Fiscal Impacts for Georgia
Table of Contents show *The following information reflects the legislation passed by the United States House of Representatives on May 22, 2025. The content of this policy brief will be updated as the budget reconciliation bill moves through Congress. Introduction and Summary Congress is currently negotiating a federal budget package. To pay for tax cuts for wealthy individuals and corporations, Congress is looking for ways to decrease federal spending on programs like Medicaid.
Our Comments on the Pathways to Coverage 1115 Demonstration Waiver Extension Notice
Dear Executive Director Portman, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on Georgia’s 1115 Demonstration Waiver extension application for the Pathways to Coverage program. I am writing on behalf of Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI), a non-profit, non-partisan research and advocacy organization. GBPI is focused on analyzing Georgia’s state budget and advancing solutions that expand economic opportunity and well-being for all Georgians.
Overview: 2026 Fiscal Year Budget for the Georgia Department of Public Health
Table of Contents show Introduction The Department of Public Health programs focus on health promotion and health-related disaster response and preparedness as well as disease and injury prevention. Governor Kemp’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 provides the Department with about $436 million in state funds.
Overview: 2026 Fiscal Year Budget for the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
Table of Contents show Introduction Among a range of duties, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities operates five state psychiatric hospitals, provides evaluation and treatment for individuals under the jurisdiction of the court system to determine their competency to stand trial and provides community-based services to Georgians living with mental health conditions, substance use disorders and developmental disabilities.
Overview: 2026 Fiscal Year Budget for the Georgia Department of Community Health
Table of Contents show Introduction The Department of Community Health administers the state’s healthcare safety net, reimburses hospitals for services provided to uninsured and underinsured Georgians, manages health insurance coverage for state and school system employees, and regulates health care and long-term care facilities. Governor Kemp’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 provides the Department with $5.5 billion in state funds.
Georgia's Pathways to Coverage Program
In July 2023, Georgia launched the Pathways to Coverage program, which offers health care coverage to adults with lower incomes who do not have access to affordable health insurance. To be eligible they must work, attend school, volunteer or complete another qualifying activity for at least 80 hours per month. The program covers the cost of many of the same medical services as traditional Medicaid, including doctor visits, hospital stays and prescriptions.
GBPI Statement on the Comprehensive Health Coverage Commission's December Report
Georgia Budget & Policy Institute (GBPI) applauds the Comprehensive Health Coverage Commission for including an initial set of opportunities for health care coverage expansion and quality improvement in their December 2024 report. GBPI strongly supports the recommendation to examine improvements to the Pathways to Coverage program as the state embarks upon a program renewal process in 2025.
Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage Program: The First Year in Review
Table of Contents show The Georgia Budget & Policy Institute (GBPI) would like to thank the Georgians who showed courage and vulnerability in sharing their stories and insights with us during the focus groups and interviews. Their expertise makes this work possible.
Georgia Health Budget Primer for State Fiscal Year 2025
Table of Contents show The 20-Year View In 2004-2005, Georgia had the 8th highest uninsured rated in the nation, and in 2022, the 3rd highest. Over the last 20 years, GBPI has continued to advocate for health care access achieving incremental but meaningful wins like the 2023 elimination of the 5-year Medicaid waiting period for pregnant women and children who are lawful permanent residents. GBPI has also pursued larger strategic priorities like closing the coverage gap.
One-Year Anniversary of Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage Program Highlights Need for Reform
This statement was released in partnership with Georgians for a Healthy Future. Read more at healthyfuturega.org. July 1st marked the first anniversary of the Pathways to Coverage program. Advocates are urging state leaders to acknowledge that the current design has not met the critical needs of Georgia’s uninsured population. Initially expected to enroll between 31,000 to 100,000 Georgians in its debut year, the program has 4,323 individuals actively enrolled as of mid-June 2024.
Overview: 2025 Fiscal Year Budget for Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
Among a range of duties, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities operates five state psychiatric hospitals, provides evaluation and treatment for individuals under the jurisdiction of the court system to determine their competency to stand trial, and provides community-based services to Georgians living with mental health conditions, substance use disorders and developmental disabilities.
Overview: 2025 Fiscal Year Budget for the Department of Community Health
The Department of Community Health administers the state’s healthcare safety net, reimburses hospitals for services provided to uninsured and underinsured Georgians, manages health insurance coverage for state and school system employees, and regulates health and long-term care facilities. Governor Kemp’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 provides the Department with $5.2 billion in state funds.
Overview: 2025 Fiscal Year Budget for the Georgia Department of Public Health
The Department of Public Health plays a vital role in safeguarding the well-being of Georgians, with responsibilities ranging from monitoring infectious diseases and health threats to responding to health-related disasters. Governor Kemp’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 provides the Department with $422 million in state funds. Of the total $826 million in proposed funds for the Department, about 48% would come from federal sources.
Children Stand to Lose During Medicaid Unwinding, But There’s More We Can Do to Keep Georgians Covered
More than 170,000 Georgians have lost access to health care coverage since Medicaid unwinding began in April. More than 90% of those who lost coverage have lost it for procedural reasons, which means they are likely still eligible but are denied coverage due to a human or technological error in the renewal process. Signs indicate that most of those getting caught in this red tape are children and their families.
Overview: 2024 Fiscal Year Budget for the Georgia Department of Public Health
Gov. Kemp’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 provides Georgia’s state public health system with $370 million in state general funds, a $13.8 million or four percent increase above current funding. Over half (about 54 percent) of those state general funds will be allocated to the 159 county health departments.
Money Matters: Comparing the Costs of Full Medicaid Expansion to the Pathways to Coverage Program
Source: Prior GBPI analysis by L. Harker of data from state fiscal note and from Pathways to Coverage application and approval; Kaiser Family Foundation; Pathways to Coverage approval from CMS. Full Medicaid Expansion Would Pay Dividends for Georgians’ Health and Financial Security Since 2014, hundreds of research studies conducted across states that have fully expanded Medicaid continue to document positive impacts.
The Benefits of Integrative Medicine in the Management of Chronic Pain: A Review
Chronic pain affects millions of patients daily. Current treatments usually include opioid therapy and NSAIDs. However, chronic opioid use carries a fairly immense risk, given the potential for overdose and addiction with this specific class of medications. The outcomes of this review can be used to aid in the treatment of chronic pain using integrative medicine. Out of 27 articles, 15 were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the review on chronic pain.
Long-term Health Impact of COVID-19: Planning for Children Who Have Lost a Caregiver and Adults Experiencing Long COVID
Thank you to Mandy Alderman of COVID Survivors for Change for sharing her personal story. In 2021, COVID-19 was the leading cause of premature death in Georgia, and, in mid-2022, the United States overall passed the dismal milestone of 1 million deaths from COVID-19. As COVID-19 recedes from the news headlines, it is important to maintain focus on the long-term health impacts of the pandemic and proactively plan for the future.
"Intellectual Property Law and the Right to Repair" by Leah Chan Grinvald and Ofer Tur-Sinai
This Article posits that intellectual property law should accommodate consumers’ right to repair their products. In recent years, there has been a growing push towards state legislation that would provide consumers with a “right to repair” their products. Currently, twenty states have pending legislation that would require product manufacturers to make available replacement parts and repair manuals. Unfortunately, though, this legislation has stalled in many of the states.
For Those Heading NXNE For 2018 Edition Of Toronto Music Festival…
For better or worse (well, probably for better), Toronto’s North by Northeast Festival has eschewed one element of its much-scrutinized format of the past two years and expanded the other. No moss is growing on this rolling stone. The “festival within a festival” that was the Port Lands has moved further inland to a decidedly more populous area — Yonge-Dundas Square — and is now called Festival Village, home to three days of FREE music entertainment.
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