Advocacy group Families USA published a report on Feb. 3 that found that Georgia, and 23 other states that also did not expand Medicaid, lagged behind the others when it came to providing adequate health insurance to workers.
The report noted that in the first year of the ACA coming into effect in 2014, all states posted a drop in uninsured workers. Georgia and the 23 other states that chose not to expand Medicaid, however, only posted on average half of the decline recorded among those states that expanded their health programs.
In 2014, Georgia’s rate of uninsured workers dropped by 13% from the year before. In comparison, the national average of decline was at 19%, and Kentucky saw a rate drop as large as 36%.
“Our report provides one more piece of evidence showing that expanding Medicaid helps working people get health coverage,” remarked Families USA Medicaid advocacy director Dee Mahan. “That’s not only good for workers but that is good for state economies, too. Access to health insurance means a healthier, more productive workforce and that’s good for business.”
Georgia has about 300,000 individuals who do not earn enough to qualify for both the unexpanded Medicaid program and federal health care through the Affordable Care Act, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
