ATLANTA — Georgia lawmakers came close to -- but did not pass -- a bill that would expand health care coverage in Georgia. Georgia is one of 10 states that haven’t expanded Medicaid coverage with federal funding.
Since it became available under the Affordable Aare Act, Republicans have insistently declined to allow federal Medicaid coverage to expand in Georgia.
Thursday lawmakers saw some shifts in that opposition.
"I didn’t have coverage, I didn’t have options. I knew what it was like to live at the intersection of poverty and pain," said Boyd Staough of Rabun County, an Air Force veteran, who told senators that even as a veteran, he couldn’t get proper health care because he couldn’t afford the insurance.
"It’s not because you’re not willing to work. It’s not because you're not motivated as a person or whatever," Staough said.
For years, lawmakers have heard such stories. Led by Republican governors Brian Kemp and Nathan Deal, they’ve declined to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act, one of only 10 such states. In this committee hearing, Republican Sen. Matt Brass (R-Newnan) said it’s time to consider working with Democrats to pass at least a version of Medicaid expansion.
Brass said he formed his opinion "as a small business owner who can’t afford insurance for my employees. And my guys are hard workers."
In the meeting, Brass moved to add health insurance expansion to a mostly unrelated bill that passed the House a month ago. Democrats voted unanimously for the motion, as did Sen. Carden Summers (R-Cordele).
"What we’re doing so far hasn’t seemed to work," Brass, the Senate Rules committee chairman, told reporters afterward. "At some point we’ve got to be more open to more ideas and and not just shut down the other side."
With most other committee Republicans still in opposition, the committee voted down Brass’s motion by one vote.
"We should not still be haggling over taking care of the people of this state! It’s a no brainer. It’s common sense," said a frustrated Sen. Gloria Butler (D-Stone Mountain), the senate minority leader.
But Boyd Staough said even this failed vote is a step forward for Georgia’s uninsured.
"I do feel like it’s inevitable. The math works out really well for everybody," he said.
The math is: the state would spend about a half-billion dollars but would get $1.2 billion from the federal government. But almost certainly not this year, as this legislature session goes home for good next week.