Low-income children in Georgia are set to soon have an easier path to collecting Medicaid benefits under legislation that passed out of the General Assembly on Wednesday.
Sponsored by state Rep. Sharon Cooper, R-Marietta, the bill would create an “express lane” for families eligible for food stamps to be automatically enrolled in Georgia’s Medicaid program, rather than having to fill out separate paperwork.
Pending approval from the federal government, the automatic enrollment would allow an estimated 60,000 Medicaid-eligible children who receive food stamps to also join the joint state-federal health program, according to the nonprofit advocacy group Georgians for a Healthy Future.
The bill passed the state Senate unanimously on Wednesday after advancing out of the Georgia House of Representatives last month, also by unanimous vote. It now heads to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk for his signature.
Sen. Ben Watson, R-Savannah, who carried Cooper’s bill in the Senate, said the express-lane format would help cut out cumbersome paperwork and bring more children with medical issues into the Medicaid fold.
“It reduces duplicative services, it reduces bureaucracy and actually gives services to children in need,” Watson said from the Senate floor. “It’s good from a hospital perspective … and it’s good from a government perspective as well.”
Passage of Cooper’s bill comes amid a spike in Medicaid enrollment among low-income Georgians during the COVID-19 pandemic, as enrollment in the state grew by about 338,000 between March of last year and December.
The total number of children, adult and family recipients during that time period rose to roughly 2,104,000, according to state Department of Community Health (DCH) data.
The bill also comes as Georgia’s partial Medicaid-expansion plan has been thrown into doubt after President Joe Biden’s administration moved last month to roll back work requirements for Medicaid eligibility put in place under former President Donald Trump.
Georgia’s partial-Medicaid expansion plan, set to take effect in July, requires eligible adults to work, attend school or volunteer at least 80 hours each month. Critics say the work requirement would leave in the lurch many Georgians who would otherwise qualify for benefits.
The plan would cover adults earning up to 100% of the federal poverty line, adding an estimated 50,000 more beneficiaries, according to state figures. Currently, Georgia Medicaid covers adults with incomes about 35% of the federal poverty line, as well as children in households making up to 138% of the poverty line and low-income senior, blind and disabled adults.
Democratic state lawmakers have long pushed for full Medicaid expansion in Georgia, which would cover adults up to 138% of the poverty line and could add 500,000 more recipients to the program. Republican lawmakers have blocked their attempts, arguing the cost-sharing arrangement between the state and federal governments would still be too expensive for Georgia.