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As Kemp Unveils Restrictive Medicaid Waiver, Perdue Refuses to Support Lifesaving Medicaid Expansion & Still Working to Gut Health Care Law
November 5, 2019
With uninsured rates rising, Perdue still supporting repeal and working against full expansion to cover low-income Georgia families
Atlanta — Yesterday, Governor Brian Kemp unveiled his restrictive Medicaid waiver while Senator David Perdue continued to work to dismantle the health care law and oppose a lifesaving full Medicaid expansion to cover Georgians that would provide needed relief for rural hospitals and health care providers around the state.
Instead of working to expand care to the 470,000 Georgians who could receive coverage under a full Medicaid expansion, Kemp chose to push for a partial and restrictive Medicaid system that could actually cost the state more than a full expansion while covering fewer people. Meanwhile, Perdue has voted to gut Medicaid expansion under the health care law and eventually slash Medicaid funding by more than a third. In Georgia alone, that would’ve meant more than $6.5 billion in cuts to the Medicaid program, threatening access to care for the millions of Georgians who rely on the program for basic health care.
With the number of uninsured Georgians rising and rural hospitals facing threats of closure, Perdue should be fighting hard for Georgians’ access to health care. Instead, he’s still focused on his reckless and partisan agenda that puts his Washington allies and special interest backers first.
“Fully expanding Medicaid is the right thing to do for Georgia families and the smart thing to do for Georgia’s budget. But Senator Perdue refuses to back the full expansion of a program that would help our rural communities and bring potentially lifesaving care to working families across our state,” said Alex Floyd, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Georgia. “It’s time for Senator Perdue to stop trying to attack the health care law and step up for the 470,000 Georgians who could receive care under a full expansion and do what’s best for Georgia.”
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