Veto HB 990 & Expand Medicaid Now!
Governor Nathan Deal
In the face of one of the worst legislative sessions in recent history, Georgians are coming together to voice their outrage at regressive legislation that attempts to turn the clock in the state back by 50 years. The unprecedented attacks on workers, women, the poor, and the disenfranchised resulted in a slew of bad bills that are awaiting Governor Nathan Deal's signature. The Moral Monday movement that started in North Carolina and spread across the region is just the beginning of a new era in the south, as more and more people are rising up against politicians who aren't listening and don't represent the will of the people.
Nowhere is this more obvious than in the battle for Medicaid expansion. Georgia is facing a crisis in healthcare- 20% of our states residents are uninsured, the 5th highest rate in the nation. Hospitals across the state are being forced to close, unable to bear the burden of rising costs. Expanding Medicaid would cover 650,000 uninsured Georgians, create up to 70,000 good jobs, stabilize hospitals at risk of closing, and bring billions of dollars to our state. This is a good deal for Georgia, but instead of expanding Medicaid elected officials are doing everything they can to stand in the way. HB 990, recently passed by the legislature, takes the responsibility for the decision away from Governor Deal, and leaves Georgians hanging until the legislative session resumes in 2015. An estimated 10 people die in Georgia every day from lack of access to healthcare. We can't afford to stand by and let lives hang in the balance.
Republican Governors across the country are caving into pressure and expanding medicaid in their states- realizing that the well being of their residents is more important than political posturing. Let's add Georgia to the list. Please sign the petition to Governor Deal asking him to do the right thing-- veto HB 990 and expand Medicaid in Georgia now. We will deliver the petition to Governor Deal in person on Monday April 7.
The time is now for locking arms and banding together for the long haul to make our voices heard. Forward together, not one step back.
Petition by
Sponsored by
To:
Governor Nathan Deal
From:
[Your Name]
We call on you to veto HB 990 and use your power as Governor to expand Medicaid, allowing 650,000 uninsured Georgians to have access to quality, affordable healthcare. Not only does HB 990 show a lack of leadership on your part by shifting your responsibility, it also leaves Georgians hanging until the legislative session resumes in 2015. Allowing thousands of people to die or suffer needlessly to prove a political point is immoral and bad for the state of Georgia.
Our state is in crisis when it comes to healthcare. An estimated 20% of our residents are uninsured, the 5th highest rate in the nation. The reality is that most of the 650,000 people who would qualify for Medicaid under the expansion are hardworking low-income Georgians who don't make enough to cover an insurance policy, yet make too much to qualify for government assistance, leaving them with no options. People without insurance get sick just like everyone else, and an estimated 10 Georgians die each day because of their lack of coverage.
Expanding Medicaid would also relieve the burden placed on Georgia hospitals. Sadly for many people without insurance, their only recourse is to visit the emergency room, leading to rising costs and forcing hospitals to across the state to close their doors. Instead of expanding Medicaid and turning uninsured patients into paying customers, your proposed solution is to limit the services that hospitals can offer, cutting access to healthcare even further for those that need it the most. Georgia must do better than that.
With a stroke of your pen you can save thousands of lives, prevent hospitals from closing, create tens of thousands of good jobs, and bring billions of badly needed dollars to our state. Do the right thing. Veto HB 990 & expand Medicaid now!