Thousands of uninsured children in Georgia could be included under Medicaid coverage if a bill passes the Georgia legislature and is signed into law.
The bill is modeled after a similar “pathway to health coverage” that is found in states like Alabama, Louisiana and South Carolina.
The bill would allow for all children who are in households that receive food stamps to be covered under Medicaid.
About 7% of Georgia’s children currently have no health insurance.
House Bill 163, which passed the House Health and Human Services Committee earlier this week, would direct the state Department of Community Health to submit the new enrollment mechanism — known as the express late — to federal officials for approval.
The new plan can save the state money on processing separate applications, said Tom Rawlings, head of the state’s Division of Family and Children Services, which handles enrollment for both the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) and Medicaid.
Children’s advocacy groups, medical provider groups, state officials and others have enthusiastically supported the change, which they say could lead to up to 70,000 uninsured children in Georgia being covered by Medicaid.
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