Key Health Proposal Passes: No Medicaid Expansion in Sight

TL/DR –

A proposal to fully expand Medicaid in Georgia was narrowly defeated in a Senate committee hearing. The state’s current partial Medicaid expansion program, called Georgia Pathways to Coverage, has cost the state at least $26 million, with 90% of expenses covering administrative and consulting costs. Georgia is one of the ten US states that have not fully expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

Medicaid Expansion Proposal Defeated in Senate Committee

A proposal for full Medicaid expansion was heard in a Senate committee but was narrowly defeated, with the committee’s chairman casting the deciding vote against it. Additionally, a high-profile healthcare bill, initially seen as a potential vessel for Medicaid expansion, concluded negotiations with an agreement to establish a commission to explore healthcare expansion options. The legislative session is set to end next week, effectively ending any remaining Medicaid expansion discussions for the year.

Rep. Michelle Au, a Johns Creek Democrat, expressed disappointment, stating: “There are days in this building that break your heart, and I think that today was a day like that for lots of us.” This legislative session had begun with bipartisan discussions around fully expanding Medicaid. Notably, some House GOP leaders had expressed openness to an Arkansas-style model of expansion, utilizing federal funds to purchase private plans for eligible individuals.

Governor’s Partial Expansion Program a Barrier to Talks

The governor’s partial Medicaid expansion program, launched last July and costing the state $26 million thus far, obstructed discussions around full expansion. According to a report from KFF Health News, around 3,500 people have enrolled in the program, with over 90% of expenses going towards administrative and consulting costs. Georgia remains one of 10 states that have not fully expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

Alternative Medicaid Program Fails to Pass

An alternative Medicaid program proposal, PeachCare Plus, modeled on the Arkansas-style expansion, was heard in a Senate committee but failed to pass. Chairman Sen. Bill Cowsert argued for more time for Georgia’s partial Medicaid expansion program, Georgia Pathways to Coverage, to work. However, Sen. David Lucas, who sponsored the Medicaid expansion proposal, argued that the partial program had been given sufficient time and was not working.

Changes to Healthcare Business Regulations

Meanwhile, a proposal to modify healthcare business regulations, aiming to attract more medical services to rural Georgia, is now awaiting the governor’s approval. The bill, originally proposed by House leaders, was subsequently amended by the Senate, leading to a compromise measure being agreed upon. The final version of the bill was welcomed by conservatives who were championing changes to the state’s certificate-of-need rules.

Despite this, Democrats criticized their GOP colleagues for not including a full Medicaid expansion in the final bill. Minority Whip Rep. Sam Park stated, “This CON will not cover a single Georgian despite the fact that we have one of the highest uninsured rates in the country. Today was yet another reminder of Republican cowardice and Republican failure of leadership by leaving hundreds of thousands of Georgians uninsured.”

For more on this story, visit Georgia Recorder.

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