Lawmakers: Medicaid Expansion is Necessary
We need your to help ensure every Georgian has access to life-saving health care.
Georgia is one of a handful of states that have not expanded Medicaid. Georgia has one of the highest uninsured rates in the nation, and our refusal to expand Medicaid has also exacerbated racial disparities. In fact, of those who fall in the “coverage gap” and would immediately get access to a health insurance card, 36 percent are Black and 22 percent are Latinx. All data shows that the COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting Black Georgians, who are more likely to contract and pass away from the virus. Health inequities, including those underscored by COVID-19, stem from centuries of disinvestment in Black communities and other policy failures, but Georgia can help close the gap.
Expansion can also help stimulate the economy and bolster Georgia's budget. For every dollar the state spends on closing the coverage gap, Georgia receives up to $9 in federal funding. Moreover, closing the coverage gap could create 56,000 jobs in Georgia each year and boost the state’s economic output by $6.5 billion annually.
If you want to help close health disparities faced by people of color in Georgia, ask your lawmakers to expand Medicaid.