Please read my newsletter for December 2015.

What’s Happening In District 1

The Case for Medicaid Expansion in Georgia

When the Affordable Care Act became law, there was a provision to allow for health care insurance coverage for adults whose incomes are at or below 138% of the federal poverty level, ($27,724 for a family of three), regardless of age, family status or health.

In order to pay for this necessary health coverage a system was designed to provide tax credits to cover the marketplace insurance coverage.  However, the Supreme Court decided that individual states had the right to decide whether or not to opt for this coverage. The reason for this expansion is many adults earn  too much money to qualify for Medicaid and not enough money to qualify for Marketplace premium tax credits.

It is estimated that at least three million Americans are without health insurance; in other words, they either have no health insurance or are under-insured. Twenty states have elected not to expand Medicaid.  Ironically, the states which chose not to expand Medicaid have the most dense population of people who are most in need of health insurance coverage.

In Georgia, children  in low income families can be eligible for Medicaid or can be covered under CHIP; however, the working parents in the two parent homes are often without health insurance; in addition, this coverage gap affects ALL age demographics from young adults to the elderly who are not old enough for Medicare.The emphasis on healthcare today is on prevention, however, the individuals in the coverage gap cannot get the necessary screenings and medical care to prevent illness.

Many statistics indicate that ninety percent of uninsured Americans live in the Southern states with Georgia representing ten percent of that population. In October of 2015, some members of the State Legislative Delegation met in the Columbus Council Chambers with healthcare professionals and other concerned individuals to discuss the need for Medicaid Expansion in Georgia.

State Representatives Debbie Buckner, Carolyn Hugley, Calvin Smyre, and Stacy Abrams were in attendance, as well as other state elected officials. These elected officials were joined by : Dr. Cathy Cook, of Cook Dental Care, Mr. Tim Sweeney, the Deputy Director of Policy Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, Mr. Paul Morris, Health Services Manager at the Muscogee County Jail, Mr. Tripp Layfield, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Columbus Regional Health and Ms. Laura Colbert a community outreach manager.

All of the State Representatives and were in support of Medicaid Expansion.Representative Stacy Abrams in a Ledger-Enquirer article said

“ Georgians can’t afford not to expand….we have 15 rural hospitals that are in jeopardy in north and south Georgia that are facing ruin if we don’t step up. We have millions of dollars we can generate for this state and thousands of jobs. Democrats and Republicans have to stand up  ”

As a health care professional, I believe that Medicaid Expansion is the right thing to do for Georgia’s citizens who are caught in the coverage gap, and also would be an economic boost to the Georgia economy. If you believe Medicaid Expansion is the right thing to do, then contact your State Representative or Senator and voice your opinion.

FALLING INJURIES

Accidentally falling and injuring yourself is one of the most prevalent reasons why people visit the emergency room. It leads the list of workman’s compensation claims and each year over a quarter of a million people are hospitalized because of it.

There are a multitude of reasons that people fall,(no pun intended), prey to accidentally falling: slippery surfaces, balance problems, problems seeing, or tripping over objects just to name a few.

Mrs. Ilona Preattle RN-BC is a Registered Nurse working for the River Valley Regional Commission-Area on Aging. She is  a Master Trainer for the “A Matter of Balance” and the “Chronic Disease Self Management Program”; both evidence based so they are proven to work. She recently gave an excellent presentation on my TV program “Focus on Health” on CCG TV. Some interesting facts concerning falls that she presented are:

• Up to 30% of adults living in the community fall each year
• About 20% of falls cause physical injury
• Falls are a leading cause of injury and death in older adults
• Falls are NOT a natural part of aging
• About 1/3 to 1/2 of older adults acknowledge fear of falling
• Fear of falling decreases satisfaction with life
• Less mobility and social activities  ( I feel that this is a serious situation for senior citizens, because it causes them to become isolated)

What is so interesting about these facts is that falls are common to everyone of ALL age groups and EVERYONE IS PRONE TO FALLING AND HAVE A FEAR OF FALLING.

If you want to attend a class  to improve your balance, the classes are held twice a week for 4 weeks. The next class is scheduled for March 2016 and the fee for the classes is $50.00.   The classes will be held in Columbus If you are interested in being “A Matter of Balance Coach,( to be able to teach this class), there is NO FEE. The only requirement is for you to teach at least two community classes per year. This would be ideal for churches or social groups.

The next class for coaches is January 25th from 8AM-5PM. For information for being a Matter of Balance Coach or information on attending the community class please call Ms. Ilona Preattle RN-BC at 706-256-2918.

“Sequestration is not going away.  It’s just looming and the minute that you relax and forget about Sequestration and the impacts of it, all of a sudden it’s going to be there and you’ll ask how did it happen and we didn’t know what was going on
”

Please also sign the petition at www.growbenning.com

Alzheimer’s Awareness Day at the Georgia State Capitol

Alzheimer’s Awareness Day at the Georgia State Capitol take place:

Wednesday February 3rd 2016
Transportation will be provided by a coach bus to the Capitol and Free lunch will be served

Alzheimer’s Awareness Day at the Georgia State Capitol will take place on Wednesday February 3 2016. Transportation will be provided by a coach bus to the Capitol. Free lunch will be served.  Five training sessions will be scheduled to familiarize you with the protocol involved with a trip to the Capitol and the appointments with your legislators. The issues are all of interest to our senior population in Georgia. For more information, please call1(800)272-3900

If you have anything that would be of COMMUNITY INTEREST OR BENEFIT please feel free to contact me at Pops9784@aol.com AND Pops9784@gmail.com

Please spread the word to others who may not subscribe to ”like” my Council Facebook page Jerry Pops Barnes City Council District 1 and to go to my websitewww.PopsBarnes.com to  subscribe. Until the next Newsletter God Bless You, and Lots of Love. Pops