KENNETH ZACHARY: Georgia should expand Medicaid coverage

Thank you for your recent article “Georgia should revisit Medicaid expansion,” which clearly presented the advantages of expanding the program here at home. The importance of expanding Medicaid in Georgia is a deeply personal issue to me. My father is currently recuperating at Pioneer Hospital in Blakely, and has been for weeks, after suffering a stroke during the 40-minute ambulance ride. The trip didn’t have to take that long, but the hospital much closer to his house closed a few years back because too many folks couldn’t afford to pay for medical services.

If we expand Medicaid, more people will have health insurance that lets them seek the healthcare they need instead of relying on emergency rooms as a last resort. And when people do need to go to the E.R, hospitals can stay open because they have paying customers instead of being forced to foot the bill themselves.

The Urban Institute study cited in your article tells us what we already know: Medicaid expansion deserves an honest look from our elected leaders. In addition, expansion will create tens of thousands of jobs throughout rural Georgia. It is time to fix this problem, and I want to be a part of the solution. Let’s do what is right for Georgia and expand Medicaid now.

KENNETH ZACHARY

Arlington

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Rev. Kenneth Zachary is an indpendent candidate for Georgia House District 151.