
Understanding Georgia’s Healthcare Coverage Gap
Medicaid Expansion can be a challenging subject to understand, so let’s try to break it down! First, it’s important to note that Medicaid is different from Medicare. Medicaid is funded by the federal government and provides coverage to Americans aged 65 and older, as well as those who are permanently disabled.
This week, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee held a Medicaid 101 session for its members. The Department of Community Health, which manages Medicaid, shared this slide on who receives which type of coverage in Georgia:
Understanding Georgia’s Healthcare Coverage Gap
There is a lot more to say about this slide, but to keep it short (so you’ll keep reading!) , let’s jump into understanding Georgia’s healthcare coverage gap and what the American Heart Association (AHA), along with many partners, is working towards.
The coverage gap consists of roughly 400,000 low-income Georgians whose income is too high to qualify for Georgia Pathways, which provides coverage to adults with a household income of up to 100% the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), which is $15,060 for an individual and $25,820 for a family of three.
Benefits of Medicaid Expansion
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) gives states the option to expand Medicaid coverage to adults with incomes up to 138% of the FPL (about $20,780 annually for an individual or $35,630 for a family of three). In addition to covering more people, the federal government currently offers a 90% match for expanding Medicaid, meaning Georgia would pay 10% of costs and the federal government would pay the remaining 90%.
Impact on Georgia
Expanding Medicaid in Georgia would bring in $3.6 billion of federal funding, improve Georgia’s economy, support rural hospitals, enhance access to preventative services, and improve health outcomes.
Our Commitment
The AHA is unwavering in its commitment to increasing access to healthcare. We aim to ensure that the 400,000 individuals currently in the coverage gap receive the preventative and treatment services they need to maintain optimal health!
This post was written by Laura Bracci, Region Sr. Lead, Government Relations, in Georgia.