More than 400 thousand Low-Income Georgians to Remain Uninsured in 2014 | WABE 90.1 FM

Despite a new health care exchange run by the federal government, more than 400,000 low-income Georgians could remain uninsured in 2014. A Kaiser Family Foundation report says it’s because of Georgia’s decision not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

The report says in states deciding to expand Medicaid nearly all low-income residents will be covered, but in states like Georgia there will be a coverage gap. The report says that’s because some low-income residents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to receive tax credits to help them afford coverage under healthcare exchanges. Rachel Garfield is a senior researcher at the Kaiser Family

“When you look at the percentages that is what share of the population does this represent about 31 percent of uninsured adults in Georgia are falling into the coverage. That’s a little bit higher than the states that are not expanding. The average is about 27 percent.”

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