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As we approach Juneteenth, let’s celebrate the progress that has been made towards racial equality in the U.S., and pause to assess the gaps and inequities that still affect the Black community. At Cover Georgia, we are and know Black Georgians remain uninsured and stuck in our state’s coverage gap. These individuals work hard earning low wages, caring for loved ones, or managing chronic health conditions while in a vulnerable position: unable to afford private insurance and ineligible for Medicaid.

13% of Black Georgians are uninsured (3 percentage points higher than white Georgians), and Black workers make up nearly half (46%) of Georgia’s uninsured low-income workers. They are also more likely to have medical debt in collections than white Georgians, partly due to higher uninsured rates.

Because of structural barriers that kept Black people out of good jobs and blocked them from other economic and health opportunities, Black Georgians are more likely to have poor health or have a disability. The unlevel playing field has led to higher rates of chronic conditions (like asthma or diabetes) among Black Georgians. Closing Georgia’s coverage gap is one of the easiest and most powerful actions our state leaders can take to reduce close racial health gaps, support economic mobility, and ensure that health care is a right, not a privilege, for all Georgians. 

When Georgia’s gap is closed, an estimated 130,000 Black Georgians and more than 400,000 total Georgians would gain coverage. We need your support to turn this vision into reality. Reach out to your state lawmakers today and urge them to close the coverage gap.