DPG Unveils 2024 GOP Legislative Session Report Card

As Republicans attempt to gloss over that they’ve once again failed to extend health coverage to hundreds of thousands of Georgians, the DPG has issued a report card grading the 2024 Legislative Session to highlight their failing marks on health care and other issues.

Rather than becoming the 41st state to expand Medicaid, a program that administers health care to millions of Americans with minimal administrative costs, Gov. Brian Kemp and his legislative enablers pursued a “Pathways to Coverage” program that cost $26 million to cover 3,500 Georgians with “more than 90% going toward administrative and consulting costs rather than medical care for low-income people.”

According to the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation, expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act would make 359,000 Georgians eligible for coverage, and “reduce state spending by $710 million over two years.”

The Georgia Budget & Policy Institute estimates that fully expanding Medicaid could create 56,000 jobs each year – including 12,000 jobs in rural communities – help keep rural hospitals open, and “increase the state’s economic output by $6.5 billion annually.”

Polling from October 2022 showed nearly two-thirds of Georgians oppose abortion restrictions. Knowing they continue to be out-of-step with voters on the issue, Republicans did not allow a proposal to put abortion on the ballot to even get a hearing. 

For continuing to deny coverage for thousands of Georgians while wasting taxpayer dollars to enrich their allies, Gov. Brian Kemp and his legislative enablers earned an F for health care.

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