Adults and kids in most of rural Georgia are enrolled in Medicaid at almost double the rates than those in cities, a new study found. That may put them at higher risk under Medicaid unwinding. 

Georgia remains one of 10 states that hasn’t fully expanded Medicaid permitted under the Affordable Care Act instituted under President Obama –– and that angers state Democrats.

Many Georgians are at risk of losing health care coverage, and advocates say some outreach efforts aren’t reaching vulnerable communities.

Close to 40% of surveyed Americans, a record high, put off medical care last year because of finances. Americans are delaying or skipping doctor's visits, dental and vision care, and medications.

The bill to expand Medicaid to Georgians living with HIV passed committee and now moves to the House.

Only adults below the poverty line who can work 80 hours a month will qualify for the new Medicaid program. Pathways to Coverage will go live in July.

Under the American Rescue Plan, the state would qualify for a bump in its Medicaid match for two years if it expanded Medicaid, which the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute estimates would be worth at least $700 million. And that would cover the first two years of enrollment.

Georgia is one of six states identified as having the greatest number of risk factors for children losing coverage when federal protections are lifted — which may happen as soon as January. 

In the pandemic, the government allowed millions of children to stay on Medicaid — no need to have an adult re-enroll them every year. But that may end soon, and many kids could lose their coverage.

Patients left behind by the closure of Wellstar’s Atlanta Medical Center, many of them uninsured or underinsured, will need to go somewhere else for care. Nearby healthcare facilities aren’t ready for them.

The Stacey Abrams campaign makes its way through Southwest Georgia emphasizing Medicaid expansion, education and workforce development. 

Sharp disagreement over whether to expand Medicaid in Georgia — a state with one of the highest uninsured rates in the country — was one of the defining issues in the governor’s race in 2018. Four years later, the debate over whether the state should expand the public insurance program is still sizzling. 

Georgia is one of a dozen states with no plans to expand Medicaid. Gov. Brian Kemp will instead implement his own plan estimated to cover around 50,000 people, which opponents say is far fewer than would be covered under Medicaid. 

Monday on Political Rewind: Gov. Brian Kemp's Medicaid expansion with a work requirement has been approved by a federal judge. Sen. Lindsey Graham's order to appear in Fulton County has been temporarily blocked. And a judge refused to stay a ban on distributing food and water at polling places. 

A federal judge has rejected the Biden administration’s rationale for blocking Gov. Brian Kemp’s plan for partial Medicaid expansion, allowing the program to be implemented.