For 10 years, Georgia state leaders have blocked access to affordable health coverage via Medicaid to almost 600,000 Georgians, Knetta Adkins with Georgians for a Healthy Future said last month.

Reimbursements for that medical care for patients who can’t afford to pay would go up significantly if the state fully expands Medicaid, said Laura Colbert, who heads the policy group Georgians for a Healthy Future.

“Many more of their patients would be insured and therefore that would reduce the losses that they see at the hospitals,” she said.

Full Medicaid expansion would cover at least 75,000 more people in the two counties and funnel millions of dollars into supporting safety net hospitals, said Laura Colbert, executive director of the health policy organization Georgians for a Healthy Future.

“Grady does amazing work but there are only so many doctors and so many patient rooms and so many resources that they have, and they need support in providing care for this community as well,” Colbert said.

Georgians for a Healthy Future says AMC serves predominantly low-income and patients of color, including many who are uninsured.

The reinsurance program does deserve some credit for the increased number of carriers and lower premiums, but there are also other factors at play, says Laura Colbert, executive director of Georgians for a Healthy Future, which is a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization.

“The reinsurance program certainly helps bring down premiums. I don’t think they can take full credit for it,” Colbert said.

For 10 years, Georgia state leaders have continued to block access to affordable health coverage via Medicaid to almost 600,000 Georgians, Knetta Adkins with Georgians for a Healthy Future said Thursday.

“And in that time, we have seen uninsured Georgia adults, parents and low-wage workers left disappointed over their inability to meaningfully participate in the Georgia health care system,” she said.

“If today’s court ruling stands and the Governor moves forward with his plan,” wrote GHF director Laura Colbert, “most of the uninsured Georgians who keep our communities moving will still have no meaningful pathway to health coverage. Nine in ten of those Georgians will still be uninsured without meaningful access to a doctor. Our rural hospitals will continue to struggle to keep their doors open.”

“The Governor will spend three times more per person than is necessary,” she said, referring to the federal contribution, “leaving billions of dollars on the table that are meant to improve health care access for Georgians.”

The waiver would have shut the door on the most popular pathway for enrollment – healthcare.gov, said Laura Colbert, executive director of Georgians for a Healthy Future.

“Consumers will have all doors open to them this fall,” Colbert said Tuesday.