Georgia is one of 12 states that has not yet taken up Medicaid expansion, denying hundreds of thousands of working adults access to quality, affordable health care. If the state expanded Medicaid coverage, approximately 452,600 uninsured adults, or 39 percent of the state’s uninsured adult population, could gain health insurance.
Thanks to a new report from our partners at Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, we know that 44 percent of those working without insurance are employed in the hospitality, retail, and administrative, support, and waste management industries. These are cashiers, cooks, maids and housekeeping staff, waiters/waitresses, and freight and stock laborers who earn too much to qualify for current Medicaid coverage and too little to buy private insurance.
Many of them are essential workers that we have relied upon in some way during the pandemic. Now it’s our turn to help them get reliable, affordable health insurance so they can continue to do their jobs and care for their families. It’s time for Georgia to accept generous federal funding to expand Medicaid to our state’s uninsured workers.
Where Do Georgia’s Uninsured Workers Live?
The map below shows that the uninsured rate for all non-elderly adult workers varies considerably across the state of Georgia, ranging from 6.8 percent in Harris County to 35.1 percent in Atkinson County. Hover over the map to check out the uninsured rate for working adults in your county.