Ahead of Medicare and Medicaid Anniversary, Georgia Democrats Outline Stakes for Health Care in 2024

Today, Georgia Democrats marked the upcoming anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid by outlining what’s at stake for Georgians’ health coverage in the 2024 election. State legislators and party leaders highlighted the stakes at the national level as Congressional Republicans and GOP 2024 presidential contenders threaten to roll back Democrats’ progress on access to affordable health care; and at the state level, as Georgia Republicans continue to refuse to fully expand Medicaid, leaving hundreds of thousands of Georgians without coverage.

“Thousands of Georgians who would have been covered under full Medicaid expansion are looking around this month, wondering why Republicans deliberately chose to insure fewer people for a higher cost. But that’s what happens when you put politics ahead of people,” said State Senator Gloria Butler, Minority Leader and Senator for SD 55. “Republicans in the state legislature are not the only ones who are threatening Medicaid coverage for Georgians. Over the last decade, almost every single budget proposal from Republicans in Congress has included deep cuts to Medicaid. And now, Medicare for our seniors is on the chopping block, too. The GOP presidential primary is stacked with candidates who, across the board, have said they support making cuts to Medicare. This is why we are already gearing up for next year’s elections – because we cannot stay silent for a minute as Republicans scheme to take away health care access to score political points or save a few bucks.”

“The anniversary of Medicare is meaningful for me because like so many Georgians, I’ve spent my life paying into benefits that I knew I would rely on when I retired. I worked hard and paid my dues knowing I’d be supported when I got older – to me, that’s part of the American dream. So it’s appalling to me that Republicans in Congress and Republicans running for president in 2024 want to put Medicare on the chopping block for millions of Georgians,” said Gloria Jenkins, Chair of DPG’s Senior Caucus. “I’m grateful that at least this disastrous plan will never happen while we have Democrats in office. Instead of leaving seniors out in the cold, President Biden and Democrats are working to make sure billionaires pay their fair share so seniors can keep our benefits and future generations can, too.”

“[Medicare and Medicaid] have served as a lifeline for so many seniors, families, women, children, people with disabilities, and Georgians at all stages of life – they’ve helped people access critical health care who otherwise wouldn’t be able to get it. But that health care access is on the line in the 2024 election, both in Washington and here in Georgia. Instead of fully expanding Medicaid and providing coverage for almost half a million more Georgians, Governor Kemp and Republicans have chosen to insure far fewer people at a far higher cost to taxpayers,” said Representative Karen Bennett, Vice Chair of the Georgia House Democratic Caucus. “This is why next year’s election is so critically important, and why it’s never too soon to start talking about what’s at stake. The state legislature is the front line of the fight for affordable health care in Georgia – and we need to elect more Democrats to win this fight. We’ve also got to keep Democrats in the White House in 2024. We’re lucky to have strong health care champions in President Biden and Vice President Harris, who are delivering real results for Georgians on affordable health care.”

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