Medicaid expansion hinges on more than the governor’s race

by Colleen Hamilton (Courier Georgia) | August 27, 2026

The costs of not expanding Medicaid in Georgia

The price of Georgia’s refusal to expand Medicaid has been steep, both financially and in terms of public health.

Georgia currently ranks 49th out of 50 states in rates of uninsured residents, according to the United Health Foundation. 

“We have 12% of our population that is uninsured,” said Beth Fuller, the Democratic nominee for State House District 53.She added that the effect ripples outward to emergency rooms across the state. “People don’t have access to a hospital when they need it or access to a doctor… it ends up flooding the emergency rooms.”

Candidates on both sides of the aisle say private support for expanding Medicaid is growing as Pathways is recognized as a failure, even as some lawmakers oppose expansion publicly. 

“Behind closed doors and away from the press, there’s actually more acceptance of the benefit to Georgia of expanding Medicaid,” Fuller said. “People understand that we’re leaving a lot of federal dollars on the table.”

How a Democratic governor could shift the calculus

Even without unilateral authority over Medicaid, Georgia’s governor wields significant power through the office’s line-item veto, which allows the governor to strike individual items from the state budget. Democrats argue that power could give Bottoms leverage to pressure Republican legislators who resist expansion.

It could also create political cover for Republican lawmakers who privately support expansion but have been wary of breaking with Gov. Brian Kemp, a vocal opponent of Medicaid expansion.

“I think that the leadership change in the governor’s office will open so many doors, and it may give Republicans at the Legislature some space to navigate maybe in a different way,” Fuller said.

… [Candidates] and legislators said Georgia could take steps toward becoming a place where everyone can readily access preventive care, mental health resources, and comprehensive pregnancy support.

“People deserve to be able to be taken care of when they’re sick,” Fuller said, “and they deserve to be able to access care for their family.”

Originally published by Courier Georgia at https://couriergeorgia.com/news/medicaid-expansion-hinges-on-more-than-the-governors-race/.