If you’ve got something to say about Gov. Brian Kemp’s Medicaid waiver proposal, the federal government is listening.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it received Kemp’s proposal to partially expand Medicaid in Georgia, and it now must accept public comments for 30 days. Comment closes Feb. 7.
The proposal would offer Medicaid to any poor Georgian who can perform certain activities for 80 hours a month. That includes work at a job or registered nonprofit, or getting higher education. It doesn’t include personal work such as caretaking for a family member with dementia or a baby. Most poor new mothers lose Medicaid coverage after 60 days.
People who already receive Medicaid would remain covered, including children and people federally designated as disabled.
The proposal’s aim is to get people covered first through Medicaid and then, if they get jobs, move them to employer insurance.
The proposal is expected to cover about 50,000 people who didn’t have coverage before, out of about 400,000 poor Georgians who lack insurance; the rest probably either won’t or can’t fulfill the requirements, according to the proposal’s forecasts.
The link to comment on the proposal, called an 1115 waiver or Georgia Pathways to Coverage, is posted on the federal website. Click this link and then click the “Answer Questionnaire” button:
For more information, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a front-page story on the 1115 waiver Nov. 5. Here's a link to that story: Kemp's Medicaid plan would cover thousands, but not most, of Georgia's poor
And the AJC published a story with more details on the front of the Metro section Dec. 4. Here's a link to that: Kemp's health care waivers a matter of perspective
Kemp has an additional proposal to reshape the Affordable Care Act exchange, but that has not been opened for comment yet.
About the Author
