Reader letters, Monday: Georgians need better health insurance access – Opinion – Athens Banner-Herald

Georgians need better health insurance access
A recent Savannah Morning News headline indicated that half a million people in Georgia lack access to decent internet. This was undoubtedly brought to light as children are challenged with online learning.
This population probably overlaps with the half-million people who lack health insurance in Georgia because of the intransigence of legislators who refuse to expand Medicaid, so all Georgians can access a basic level of healthcare.
Last week, the Commonwealth Fund, which supports independent research on health policy reform, presented its annual report assessing 49 health measures in the 50 states and Washington, D.C. They found Americans are living shorter lives than in 2014; that Black Americans are nearly twice as likely as whites to die prematurely from treatable conditions, suicide, and alcohol and drug overdoses; and that health coverage gains associated with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have stalled, while affordability of