Applications for the state’s Peachcare child health plan rose fifty percent in the month before the cash-dry program froze enrollment.
Federal guidelines required Georgia to give a month’s notice before it stopped accepting new Peachcare patients on March 11. In that month, families rushed to sign up, and brought Peachcare’s total enrollment to about 300,000 children.
Director Mark Trail says the increase has put more pressure on Peachcare’s bottom line.
“It wasn’t exactly what we wanted to have happen,” says Peachcare Director Mark Trail. “It does make the financial need greater.”
Trail says Peachcare has no more money but the program has worked out a payment plan with its managed care partners for April.
He hopes state lawmakers will pass their midyear budget when they return to the Capitol next week. That legislation contains an emergency bridge loan of about $73 million that would fund Peachcare until Congress passes an appropriations bill later this year.
Federal guidelines required Georgia to give a month’s notice before it stopped accepting new Peachcare patients on March 11. In that month, families rushed to sign up, and brought Peachcare’s total enrollment to about 300,000 children.
Director Mark Trail says the increase has put more pressure on Peachcare’s bottom line.
“It wasn’t exactly what we wanted to have happen,” says Peachcare Director Mark Trail. “It does make the financial need greater.”
Trail says Peachcare has no more money but the program has worked out a payment plan with its managed care partners for April.
He hopes state lawmakers will pass their midyear budget when they return to the Capitol next week. That legislation contains an emergency bridge loan of about $73 million that would fund Peachcare until Congress passes an appropriations bill later this year.
