ATLANTA — With just nine months left for the test pilot program, Gov. Brian Kemp said he’s proposing new legislation to adjust how the Georgia Pathways to Coverage program works and provide the coverage to more state residents.
The work-requirement version of Medicaid in Georgia was the first of its kind to be implemented, and while results have been smaller than state officials had been expecting, they still want to continue the program.
At issue on the state side was what Kemp said were unlawful delays in the start of the program caused by legal actions undertaken by the federal government under the administration of President Joe Biden.
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“Despite the Biden administration’s unlawful delay, Georgia Pathways has expanded healthcare coverage to thousands of low-income and able-bodied Georgians since it launched,” Kemp said in a statement. “Since Pathways launched, my administration has worked with our legislative partners, subject experts, and stakeholders to evaluate its progress and identify opportunities to streamline and make the program more accessible. As we do in all areas of government, this work will continue, but with today’s announcement we are not only keeping families healthy together during a critical time of development, but also making an important investment in our state’s future.”
Healthcare advocates who are less supportive of the program have instead said that the program failed to provide health services to more than a fraction of those eligible and have accused the state of overspending its funding on administration rather than health coverage for those in need.
At a news briefing on Wednesday, Kemp unveiled his proposal to expand the program in part as a way to help more Georgia families both participate in the program and get to work.
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According to the governor’s office, Kemp wants to expand who is eligible to use the Pathways to Coverage program by adding a new qualifying activity.
Qualifying activities are the actions needed to be taken by prospective enrollees to meet the program’s work requirements.
Kemp’s office said the new activity “would provide Medicaid coverage to parents and legal guardians in households with incomes at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) who have children ages 0-6 - furthering the state’s focus on healthy families, improving maternal and child health, and supporting parents who are trying to get back in the workforce but struggling due to lack of health insurance.”
As previously covered by Channel 2 Action News, the implementation of Georgia’s program was the subject of both legal battles and controversy. The state at one point sued the federal government over what it said was a need to extend the program to run its original amount of time, though that lawsuit was defeated.
A federal judge told Georgia officials to request an extension through a normal process instead of the lawsuit they’d attempted. Channel 2 Action News has asked the governor’s office if they’ve applied for an extension and are waiting for their response.
State officials said their proposed expansion of who could use or participate in the Georgia Pathways program would lead to more people having health coverage, particularly new mothers beyond the currently covered first year after giving birth.
As of the latest data, Georgia officials said the Pathways program have covered 8,385 people, a jump from the previously confirmed total of 5,120 near the end of October.
The governor’s office said all of the more than 8,000 enrollees had incomes up to 100% of the federal poverty level. While that yearly income varies by location in the state, the average amount was $31,200, according to the Georgia Department of Community Health.
The current version of the Pathways to Coverage program in Georgia officially started in July 2023 and will end September 2025 without further adjustment involving federal partners.
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