Georgia Gov. Brian P. Kemp (R) has set aside more than $1 billion for the state Department of Human Services to provide cash assistance of up to $350 per active enrollee in Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and/or the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.
Funds come from the State Fiscal Recovery Fund, which was part of the American Rescue Plan Act.
Eligible residents who were enrolled in Medicaid, SNAP and/or TANF by July 22 will receive a one-time cash payment of $350.
“The $350 per person for recipients of Medicaid will be welcomed by many older adults,” Ginny Helms, president of LeadingAge Georgia, told the McKnight’s Business Daily.
The governor, she added, also has taken steps to help bolster the direct care workforce by providing $843,000 in funding to support certified nurse training to enable career advancement.
“We are excited to see how this program will make a difference in their lives as it also helps us fulfill a critical workforce need,” Kemp said in a statement.
The CNA pilot program will provide 500 current dual-enrollment high school students across 10 Georgia college and career academy sites a grant to cover the cost of earning a nurse aid technical college certificate, including in-person clinical training through partnering healthcare systems. Also, half of those students will be able to acquire an additional geriatric care technical college certificate.
All 500 students will earn those certifications while simultaneously remaining on track to complete their high school diplomas on time. The grant also will cover the cost of completing the CNA examination administered at the end of the program.
