Senate panel blocks Hail Mary push to expand Medicaid
Deadlocked panel vote makes expansion push unlikely this year
A Hail Mary push to expand Medicaid coverage was blocked by a Georgia Senate panel Thursday, dealing what is likely the decisive blow to any chances of expanding the program this year.
In a 7-7 tie, the Senate Regulated Industries Committee voted to reject the push, which called for the state to use available federal funds to purchase private insurance for lower-income, uninsured adults.
Two Republicans joined with all Democrats to advance the proposal, leading to the deadlocked vote.
Georgia is one of just 10 states that have yet to expand healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Republican governors and legislative leaders have long dismissed the idea as too expensive.
“We can't kick the can down the road anymore,” warned state Sen. David Lucas (D-Macon), who sponsored Thursday’s push. “$1.2 billion is in D.C., waiting for Georgia to expand. But how long will it be there?”
Republican opponents, however, say that they would like to give Gov. Brian Kemp more time to implement some of his new waiver programs like Georgia Pathways, which adds a work requirement for those seeking coverage.
"We may be rushing the gun here to undercut [Gov. Kemp’s] efforts,” said state Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-Athens). But fewer than 4,000 people are participating in the program so far, significantly lower than the 25,000 enrollments state officials were hoping to see in its first year.
The state is suing for a three-year extension for the program beyond its 2025 expiration, which the federal government is unlikely to grant — especially if the Biden administration is still in the White House next year.
Another program, Georgia Access, is a new online catalog that helps people find coverage with private insurers. Republican state Sen. Ben Watson says that it could enroll as many as 85,000 Georgians by its second year.
“I think we need to give this more time,” the Savannah physician said Thursday.
Talks of a large-scale Medicaid expansion in Georgia have been growing in recent years. A state House committee last year heard testimony from an Arkansas Republican lawmaker who had high praise for her state’s expansion model.
House Speaker Jon Burns has expressed openness to a discussion on the topic. And Gov. Kemp has not explicitly said that he would veto it if it were to reach his desk.
With the legislative session approaching its final week, however, Thursday’s deadlocked Senate committee vote is likely the final nail in the coffin for this year’s expansion push.
But a disappointed Democratic caucus promised to keep fighting. “Democrats in Georgia have fought for Medicaid expansion for 14 years, and will keep at it until our Republican friends get out of their own way,” said state Sen. Elena Parent (D-Atlanta).