SR 201: Governor Brian Kemp; include full-time care givers for the elderly, sick, and disabled in the Georgia Pathways expansion; urge

Senate Resolution 201

By: Senators Harrell of the 40th and Echols of the 49th

A RESOLUTION

Urging Governor Brian Kemp to include full-time care givers for the elderly, sick, and disabled in the Georgia Pathways expansion; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, over 1 million Georgians are family care givers who provide regular, unpaid care to parents, spouses, and others who are elderly, have a chronic health condition, and/or are living with a disability; and

WHEREAS, the economic value of that unpaid care is estimated to be over $16 billion in Georgia alone; and

WHEREAS, family care givers in low-income communities can help prevent or delay the need for more costly Medicaid services, such as a hospital or nursing home stay, for those they care for and thus provide significant support to the state's Medicaid program; and

WHEREAS, low-income family care givers are less likely to have access to high-quality, affordable health care coverage, and about one-third report having neglected their own health care due to their care giving responsibilities; and

WHEREAS, adding family care giving for an adult relative as a qualifying activity under the Pathways to Coverage program could increase program enrollment and help ensure low-income family care givers get the health care that they need so that they can focus on their care giving responsibilities, which decrease the burden of more high-need and costly Medicaid enrollees on the state budget.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body urge Governor Brian Kemp to include full-time care givers for the elderly, sick, and disabled in the Georgia Pathways expansion.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press.