Joann Yoon Kang, Vice President of Strategic Communications
Cindy Zeldin, Vice President of Health Policy and Government Affairs
Ky Lindberg, Vice President of Community Engagement
Georgia Health Initiative
Georgia stands at a pivotal moment that will shape the direction of health policy in our state. With an open governor’s race in 2026, along with other open seats, we’re on the cusp of significant political transition. While new leadership introduces uncertainty, it also creates opportunity. This moment opens the door for nonpartisan, nonprofit, private foundations like our team at Georgia Health Initiative to play a constructive role in elevating community priorities to shape a health policy agenda designed to work for all Georgians.
Incoming state leadership will take office at a moment when thoughtful, informed policymaking will be critical. Key policy changes, including implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1), will require state-level decisions with major implications for health coverage, access, and financing. In addition, Georgia continues to grapple with persistent challenges like hospital closures, workforce shortages, and gaps in maternal and rural health care access. Each of these issues will land squarely on the desks of Georgia’s next governor and other state leaders who will be making decisions once sworn in.
Specific to H.R. 1, our policy report published in November 2025 details the staggering projected impacts of this federal law on Georgia over the next decade, particularly when paired with the expiration of enhanced advanced premium tax credits at the end of last year. The report estimates that 492,000 Georgians will become uninsured, the state will lose $5.4 billion in Federal State Directed Payments, and 46,500 jobs will be lost statewide. Some of these projections are already coming to bear; as reported this past April, enrollment in Georgia Access, our state-run marketplace, dropped significantly in 2026 as compared to the prior year. While unclear how many individuals may have secured coverage through other means, the scale of this decline signals troubling trends that Georgia’s new leaders will inherit.
Beyond lessening harm, the next governor will also play a key role in advancing opportunities to improve health and wellbeing. These include implementation of activities under the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, modernization of enrollment systems for public programs, expansion of home visiting programs to improve maternal and child health, and a seamless onboarding of new Medicaid Managed Care Plans planned for the upcoming year.
Much on the horizon will significantly affect individuals and families in our state. Yet there is a disconnect between what Georgians are experiencing and what is recognized by state officials and candidates for office.
Foundations like ours can play a unique role by stepping into this gap. Unbound by partisan affiliation, candidate loyalty, or any interest other than the health and wellbeing of our neighbors across our state, we serve as a credible conduit between Georgia voters and those seeking to lead them.
In light of the upcoming elections, we recently convened focus groups to hear directly from Georgia voters about their lived health experiences, barriers to living healthy lives, and the health issues they want our next governor to prioritize. Findings from these focus groups informed a statewide poll administered in June. Once final, results will be shared with candidates for governor and other state offices. Our hope and aim is that candidates will internalize what voters are experiencing and will use these insights to define and refine their policy platforms to respond to constituent needs.
Regardless of election outcomes, the coming months present a unique opportunity to shape the legacy of health and health care in Georgia. And the work doesn’t end on Election Day —the transition period between November 2026 and the launch of a new administration in early 2027 is critical. Incoming governors, their appointees, and newly elected legislators face a steep learning curve on complex health issues, and the decisions they make in their first 100 days often shape policy for years to come.
At Georgia Health Initiative, we embrace this opportunity to build from voter concerns and share data to inform policy strategy. We’re preparing for this moment by developing, curating, and sharing credible data, briefing materials, and policy resources that align with what voters have indicated matters most. By making this information accessible and digestible during the transition, we strive to ensure that new leaders begin their tenure equipped to act thoughtfully and effectively and by centering the experiences of individuals and communities.
Our work remains underway, and we look forward to publishing and sharing findings from the statewide poll in the coming months. In the meantime, we want to share early lessons for philanthropic peers considering similar work in future election cycles.
- Listen intently to what nonprofit health policy and advocacy partners want to learn. Opportunities to conduct statewide polls are uncommon, so prioritizing insights with broad utility across partners is a valuable way to optimize resources.
- Learn from peers engaged in similar work. We’re especially appreciative of Grantmakers In Health (GIH) for curating learning opportunities for policy and communications staff across the network. A January GIH webinar surfaced innovative strategies other foundations are employing in 2026, including statewide polling and translation of findings for priority audiences. We also reviewed issue polls commissioned by peers in other states to guide our own survey design and are grateful for insights and guidance shared by colleagues at the Colorado Health Foundation and California Health Care Foundation in particular.
- Engage legal counsel early. Despite lingering misperceptions, there is much that 501(c)(3) private foundations can do and fund to educate candidates and elected officials on policy issues. At the same time, clear parameters exist. Close consultation with legal counsel from the outset clarifies what is permissible and supports informed planning and implementation.
- Plan along a longer time horizon. While tempting to conclude this work once the election is over, there’s much value in staying engaged through transition planning and well into the launch of the incoming administration—a time when a number of consequential policy decisions are made.
Engaging in this work allows us to position Georgia Health Initiative as a trusted, sound, and nonpartisan resource to whomever is elected and the team they assemble. Leaning into this moment offers a chance to elevate health as a central concern and to ensure Georgia’s new leaders enter office equipped with insight into what their constituents actually need and what they deserve.