This press-release was co-authored with Georgians for a Healthy Future
As federal officials consider extending Georgia’s Pathways program and Congress considers applying a nationwide Pathways-like work requirement to adults in Medicaid, Georgia advocates urge the public to speak out by June 1.
ATLANTA — Georgia’s limited Medicaid program with work reporting requirements has underperformed on every front, and now the federal government is asking the public to weigh in on whether the state’s troubled program should be extended through 2030.
Launched in July 2023, the Pathways to Coverage program was designed to offer Medicaid coverage to low-income adults who could document and verify 80 hours of work, job training, volunteering, or other government-approved activity each month. A majority of potentially eligible Georgians are either employed themselves or are in a household with at least one worker. Yet, even those who meet the program criteria face a steep ‘paperwork’ burden.
Supporters call the program a bridge to health care and employment. But data from the program’s first year shows a different story:
- Only 7,000 people are enrolled. That’s just 3% of the number of uninsured Georgians with qualifying incomes.
- Of the more than 110,000 Georgians who indicated interest in applying to the program in the first year, only about 5% were able to navigate the full application process and enroll in the program.
- Georgia’s Pathways program has cost nearly $92 million in total funding (a little more than $13,000 per enrollee), with much of it going to administrative expenses like technology upgrades, not health care.
Now, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is reviewing Georgia’s request to extend Pathways and is accepting public comments through June 1. Health care advocates say the public has a critical opportunity to speak up against burdensome requirements that deny care to those who need it.
“Every Georgian deserves access to affordable, reliable health care, regardless of their job status or income. But Georgia’s Pathways program has created unnecessary barriers that have kept thousands of eligible people from getting covered,” said Laura Colbert, Executive Director of Georgians for a Healthy Future. “The data show that complex requirements and paperwork are preventing the program from reaching Georgians in need of health insurance. Our state can do better. By fully expanding Medicaid without work requirements, we can connect more people to care, support healthier families and communities, and use our health care dollars more wisely. We urge federal officials to listen to Georgians and reject any extension of this flawed program.”
Experts also say the program’s cost is hard to justify, especially compared to the option of fully expanding Medicaid.
“As currently designed, this program puts costly paperwork and bureaucratic processes over people. Less than one third of the over $90 million dollars spent on Pathways to Coverage has covered healthcare expenses like doctor visits and prescription refills. The majority of program spending has gone to expensive technology upgrades and other administrative costs”, said Leah Chan, Director of Health Justice at the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. “Moving forward, Georgia deserves a program that is grounded in the realities faced by low-income Georgians and delivers a stronger return on investment for Georgia’s taxpayers.”
This afternoon, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee will begin marking up its portion of the federal budget proposal, which will likely include changes to Medicaid.
Georgia’s experience with Pathways to Coverage offers a clear warning: work requirements don’t work. They create costly bureaucratic systems that deny coverage to eligible people, not because those individuals aren’t working, but because of red tape and paperwork hurdles. Expanding these failed policies nationwide would waste federal dollars, drive up administrative costs, and strip health care from deserving Americans across the country.
Georgians should submit a comment on the Pathways program before the June 1 deadline, urging federal officials to reject policies that restrict care through burdensome requirements and instead support solutions that expand access to affordable coverage.
To submit a comment and learn more, visit: https://secure.everyaction.com/0IMDprWUBE-oRyQ-xOUJOw2
Georgians for a Healthy Future collaborates with communities and partners to lead policy change that advances health equity for all Georgians. Our vision is of a day in which all Georgians have equitable opportunities to achieve their highest level of health. We do this by delivering actionable health policy information to policymakers and advocates; providing resources to help consumers become strong advocates, and elevating the consumer experience to inform policy change. Read more at healthyfuturega.org
Georgia Budget and Policy Institute
The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute is a research and advocacy organization that advances lasting solutions to expand economic opportunity and well-being for all Georgians. We examine the state’s budget, taxes and public policies to provide thoughtful analysis and responsible solutions that address inequities in our state. We educate the public about complex issues confronting Georgia. We activate Georgians to call for policy solutions that put people first. We aim to inspire informed debate and decision-making, advancing our vision of a fair and inclusive Georgia where everyone can prosper. Read more at gbpi.org
