WINFRED DUKES & DARREL EALUM: Southwest Georgia needs expanded Medicaid

In recent years, Georgia’s leaders have refused to expand our Medicaid program, leaving more than 300,000 of our citizens uninsured. For working families, this leaves them in a terrible gap: too poor to qualify for healthcare subsidies, and unable to qualify for Georgia’s limited Medicaid program.

Across Albany and the Southwest Georgia region, the negative impact of not expanding Medicaid is felt each day. To put it in perspective, a family of three making more than $7,600 a year is considered too rich to qualify for Medicaid. These are working men and women, some with children, who are playing by the rules and still falling behind. This is not fair.

We in the Georgia House Democratic Caucus know how critical Medicaid expansion is to securing the health and economic security of families in Albany, Southwest Georgia, and all across the state. As the 2016 legislative session approaches, it is time for members of the Georgia House on both sides of the aisle to commit to making Medicaid expansion a reality. We cannot afford to wait any longer.

The consequences of continued failure are clear and devastating. Southwest Georgia has already experienced two hospital closures that put our communities at risk. When Stewart-Webster Hospital shuttered, EMS drivers of the two remaining ambulances in the county reported 90-mile round trips. That is unacceptable. Medicaid expansion will help fund hospitals and restore the economies across the region.

Expansion would mean rural hospitals no longer face the danger of closing. More than half of the uninsured residents of Dougherty, Calhoun, Terrell and Randolph counties would finally receive the health insurance they desperately need. The state knows this is an issue, and despite all of the study, one answer remains the clear solution: Medicaid expansion.

Thousands of our constituents stand to benefit from a statewide expansion, including those in employment sectors like education, retail, construction and transportation, who otherwise may not be covered through their jobs. When people have health insurance, they are 80 percent less likely to experience a catastrophic medical bill, and more likely to seek out preventative care that could detect serious illnesses like cancer or heart disease. These are results worth fighting for.

The economic benefits of expansion for our region are undeniable. If Georgia expands its Medicaid program, we could expect to see more than 3,000 jobs created in our area, bringing about $144 million in new income to our region alone. By expanding Medicaid throughout the state, newly insured Georgians could afford to pay their medical bills, and reduce hospital costs.

Thirty-one states have made the smart decision to expand their Medicaid programs – including Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, led by Republican governors. Each year that we do not expand, Georgia forfeits billion in federal funds that belong to us. For a region struggling to emerge from the recession and to save our hospitals, this is money that could cover change lives and create jobs in our community.

Silence about Medicaid expansion in 2016 is not acceptable because the consequences are too terrible to ignore. Democrats and Republicans must show the political courage to put aside party labels and stand up for the citizens we represent. We must work across the aisle and with Governor Deal to protect the welfare and well-being of Georgians.

Expansion isn’t just a compassionate and economically sound decision; it is the only way that Southwest Georgians can move forward. By taking care of the hard-working Georgians who need coverage today, we are building a healthier and more secure state for generations to come.

Rep. Winfred Dukes, D-Albany, represents District 154. Rep. Darrel Ealum, D-Albany, represents District 153.