If you ask most Republicans in the state, they’ll say that a large part of why hospitals — especially rural hospitals — are struggling is because the cost of lawsuits against physicians has skyrocketed.
But Democrats in the state House paint a different picture. In a news conference Thursday after Gov. Brian Kemp unveiled his plans to overhaul the civil legal system, House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley said Republicans’ refusal to expand Medicaid has hurt patients and hospitals.
“For years, they have refused to fully fund Medicaid and give hardworking Georgians access to quality, affordable health care,” she said. “They choose to leave billions of revenue dollars on the table every single year and instead play partisan politics by starting their own disastrous health care plans that fail Georgians.”
Hugley was referring to Kemp’s alternative program, Georgia Pathways to Coverage, which provides Medicaid to adults making below the federal poverty line who work at least 80 hours per month, attend a technical college or perform another state-approved activity.
While 40 states have expanded their Medicaid programs to provide coverage for people earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level, Georgia has not.
According to data from the Department of Community Health presented Wednesday, 6,514 people are currently enrolled in the Pathways program out of 246,365 estimated to be eligible. If Georgia were to fully expand Medicaid, nearly 300,000 Georgians would gain health coverage, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
“(Republicans) say that we’re the best place (in) the country to do business, but we’re also one of the most dangerous states for workers who are pregnant. We’re one of the hardest states to get access to quality health care and one of the hardest states to afford rent,” she said. “Too many Georgians have been left out and left behind.”
Hugley said Democrats will also file bills that would improve Georgia’s maternal mortality rates, which is among the worst in the nation. In addition, they want to adjust the funding formula for schools and encourage more funding for school guidance counselors, to support student mental health following the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder last September.
But Democratic positions on health, education and housing face steep odds: They hold just 80 seats in the 180-member House, leaving them little leverage to influence debate.
Still, Republicans may need Democratic support to pass Kemp’s legislation that would put limits on jury awards for lawsuits, often referred to as tort reform. The issue can be divisive, even within the GOP.
However, Hugley said she doesn’t want to trade votes on that issue in order to pass Medicaid expansion, which both Kemp and House Speaker Jon Burns said they oppose. They should be seen as separate discussions, she said.
House Minority Whip Sam Park added that Democrats are still open to talking.
“The devil’s in the details,” he said. “If there is something good in the bill that will help people, not just big business, we’re certainly open to that conversation.”
Senate Democrats, too, want to expand Medicaid, and they filed legislation Tuesday that would instruct the state to do so. Four Republicans broke with Kemp to co-sponsor the bill.
“As lawmakers, we have the power to show the state that all can live healthy and earn Georgians a good living. And as Democrats, we have the vision to make it happen,” Park said.
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