Laura Colbert, executive director of the advocacy group Georgians for a Healthy Future, said the mass health insurance loss “spotlights a real weakness in our health system.”

“On the other hand, the vast majority of those Georgians are now eligible for coverage through Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act marketplace,” Colbert said in a statement. “These health insurance programs are the backstops when massive uncertainty and upheaval hit our health and employment systems, keeping families safe, healthy and financially whole.”

If the state chose to further expand Medicaid, she said, Georgia’s “safety net would be a lot more complete.”

“The comments submitted paint a really compelling picture about the inadequacy of the Pathways to coverage plan,” Laura Colbert, executive director for Georgians for a Healthy Future, said during a call Wednesday with reporters.

“Repeatedly, commenters described how their loved ones would be left out, how Georgians would struggle to get or maintain coverage and how inequities across race, geography and health status would be maintained or exacerbated under this plan,” Colbert said.

Letting the non-cancellation directive lapse would be premature, said Laura Colbert of the consumer group Georgians for a Healthy Future.

“Many Georgia consumers are still going to be out of work at the end of May, and if they are back at work, many will be catching up on rent, utilities, and credit card bills,’’ Colbert said Thursday. “Georgians will struggle to make up premium payments at the same time.”

State leaders, she said, “should prioritize actions that preserve and expand the number of Georgians with health insurance.”

“This waiver is a positive step in Georgia’s response to the COVID-19 crisis,” said Laura Colbert of consumer advocacy group Georgians for a Healthy Future. “It will make it easier for doctors and other health care providers to see Georgians covered by Medicaid and provide needed health care services, including mental health care. These changes should ease the strain on Georgia’s health care system, especially for the providers who see low-income Georgians, those with complex health conditions or disabilities, and children.”

The challenges Georgia’s rural communities confront with the coronavirus pandemic serve to highlight problems that have been around for a long time, said Laura Colbert, executive director of Georgians for a Healthy Future, a health care consumer advocacy group.

“Health care has been a top issue for voters and consumers for a number of years now, and I think that we’re seeing exactly what doesn’t work under a magnifying glass,” she said. “So, in Georgia, we’ve got about a 15% uninsured rate. We’ve got many folks above that 15% who have health insurance but are considered underinsured, or even if they don’t fall, technically, within the category of underinsured, many feel like they’re being stretched too thin with premiums and deductibles.”

Consumer groups have supported the legislation. Laura Colbert of Georgians for a Healthy Future said Tuesday that the legislation “is a big step forward for Georgia consumers.’’

Consumer groups have supported the legislation. Laura Colbert of Georgians for a Healthy Future said Tuesday that the legislation “is a big step forward for Georgia consumers.’’

Patient and consumer advocates, though, argue that the measure as-is would make a significant dent in the problem of surprise medical bills. About 2.6 million people could be helped, according to Georgians for a Healthy Future.

“Any further delay in passing this legislation would really only serve to keep consumers in a place where they’re receiving bills for hundreds or thousands of dollars after they’ve scheduled health care services and have done their due diligence and yet still receive bills that are out of their control,” said Laura Colbert, director of Georgians for a Healthy Future.

Colbert cited a recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association that found that about one out of five in-network surgeries at in-network facilities result in out-of-network bills.