Deal still opposes Medicaid expansion

Print Friendly and PDF By: Andy Miller Published: Feb 6, 2013

A few prominent Republican governors have recently broken ranks and opted for expanding their Medicaid programs.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich was the latest, becoming the fifth Republican governor to decide in favor of expansion. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer was among the first. (Here’s a Politico story on the GOP decisions.)

But Gov. Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania, another Republican, said Tuesday that he will not pursue an expansion of his state’s Medicaid program, at least for now.

Georgia’s governor has not budged from his opposition to Medicaid expansion. In an interview with WABE on Tuesday, Nathan Deal said Georgia can’t afford the extra money it would cost the state, which he said is estimated at $4.5 billion over 10 years.

As outlined by the Affordable Care Act, expansion would bring more than 600,000 low-income adults into the state’s Medicaid program, which is jointly financed by the state and federal governments. It would bring an estimated $40 billion in federal money into Georgia’s health care economy.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in its decision last year on the ACA, gave states much more latitude to reject expansion than the original legislation had allowed.

Deal told WABE’s Denis O’Hayer that it would take federal flexibility on expansion – he mentioned turning the Medicaid program into a ‘‘block grant’’ – before he would reconsider.

Last week, the Legislature passed a provider fee bill that’s expected to fill a huge potential financial hole in the state’s Medicaid program.

“When you’re having a tough time paying for what you already have, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to expand it and cost yourselves even more,’’ Deal told WABE.

Separately Wednesday, a self-described progressive advocacy group, Better Georgia, released results of a survey of Georgians in which it reported that more than 60 percent responded that they supported Medicaid expansion when asked this question:

“Georgia and other states are considering whether to accept more federal funds for Medicaid. The money would insure more Georgians, put hundreds of millions of dollars in our economy, create thousands of jobs and possibly prevent rural hospitals from closing. Do you support or oppose Georgia accepting the Medicaid funding?”

Last fall, the AJC reported that a survey of Georgians found a “slight plurality’’ favored expanding Medicaid.

The Republican-dominated Georgia General Assembly, in session now, is not expected to approve any major expansion measure this year.

 

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  • GraceD

    Gov Deal is refusing to address a major health problem in Ga. He just continues to state the “republican party) line.
    We can fund Fish Ponds & give away tax payer money to companies (that produce few jobs. But, we can’t take care of our people. Another big reason business doesn’t consider Ga. for location.
    Sure shows where Deal & republicans priorities are, doesn’t it?
    As an independent swing voter, white, senior citizen, I am just appalled at the poor condition that Ga. is in, in so many areas. And specially, in health care, including our mental health disaster.
    Where are the statesman for Ga. politics? .

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  • Teresa

    Gov Deal has never had to go without health insurance and has the ability to make the co-pays required by most insurance carriers, Gov Deal is not in touch with his state on these issues of providing some type of insurance coverage for every Man, Woman & Child that are citizens of our state. Lack of health care for most people, only drive up the cost of medical care in the long run. I’ve lived in Georgia all my life and at one time I was uninsured, I struggled to pay the doctor bills and juggled my regular bills. Currently, I do have coverage where I can choose who I see, which I’m very thankful for. However, I do want to mention the estabilishment of the so called free clinics for health and mental health for people with no coverage. These estabilishment have very little resources for their patients If the patient has to be referred to a specialist, the specialist is not normally covered, As most people know seeing specialist for a chronic disease lifelong can be very expensive. How does a unemployed & uninsured man pay for that service.? Men in Georgia, first they have to be declared disable by SSA before getting medicaid in our state. Which can take years, some don’t have years to wait on the system. I’m thankful that we have these limited services in our area, however, sometimes free care is very close to no care. I have seen three relatives go throught the community based services based on income, their out come has not been good, chronic illnesses that where missed by Family Practice Doctors, should have refer them to the specialist when they needed to for a earlier dx, and better quality of life and longer life. I don’t pretend to know the answer to our state’s problems. However, when the government started out sources middle class jobs to contractors, such as at military bases in Georgia. These civil services jobs supported families . These jobs provided benefits for medical ins, retirement plans and a decent wage,. Now, it’s been announced that the Post Office will cut back on delivery, that will cost us more lost middle class jobs. Contractors offer no medical benefits, no retirement packages, nothing, most don’t even do the jobs they recevied the money for in the first place, example Katrina, now the Air Force flop. Contractors want more money in their pocket. Makes me wonder, if most of them have a old college roommate, or brother-in-law on the inside. So sad that everyone is so worried about illegals and providing for them, but if we cannot provide for Georgians why is our place to use our tax dollars to support people who aren’t citizens. Gov Deal needs to take a look at the rest of Georgia, not just Atlanta, look at South Georgia, take Albany for example, it was once the “Good Life City”, they still use that phrase but it’s not what it once was.

    Poverty is the strongest predictor of death in patients in Georgia due to the lack of access to healthcare and proper medications.and proper medical attention.

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