Women’s History Month Spotlight: The Stories of Georgia Women in the Coverage Gap
In Georgia, women are the backbone of families, communities, and our economy. They are mothers, caregivers, essential workers, and small business owners. They are the ones who often put others first—making sure their children get to doctor’s appointments, their aging parents take their medications, and their neighbors have a meal when times are tough.
But what happens when the women holding everything together don’t have access to the health care they need?
Every day, thousands of women in Georgia fall through the cracks of our health care system. Nearly one in five women between the ages of 18 and 44 in Georgia is uninsured. They don’t qualify for Medicaid unless they are pregnant or diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer. Others are forced into a failing system—like Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage program—that makes them jump through impossible hoops just to access basic medical care.
For these women, Georgia’s refusal to expand Medicaid isn’t just a policy decision—it’s a life-or-death reality.
Who Are the Women Falling Through the Cracks?
Stories of Women Stuck in Georgia’s Coverage Gap
The following stories were shared with us through Cover Georgia’s Close the Gap storytelling campaign. To ensure the privacy of those who bravely shared their experiences, we have altered their names. These are just three examples of the countless women across Georgia who are stuck in the coverage gap: working hard, caring for their families, and doing everything right, yet still unable to access the health care they need.
Taylor from Rome is a hard-working mother of three teenagers. When her husband became too sick to work, their family lost Medicaid. Now, despite working full-time, Taylor earns just under the income limit for Medicaid, but she’s still denied coverage. Without insurance, she’s terrified about how they will afford the heart surgery her husband desperately needs. Her family struggles to buy food and can’t afford thousands of dollars in medical bills.
Karla from Villa Rica is a college student who should be focusing on her education but instead is stuck in an endless cycle of denied health care. She’s applied for Pathways to Coverage twice this year and has been rejected both times without a clear explanation. When she tries to call for help, she can’t even leave a voicemail. Meanwhile, her severe eczema flare-ups make sleeping unbearable. Without insurance, she has no way to see a doctor. She’s trying to apply for Pathways a third time, but after so many obstacles, it feels hopeless.
Samantha from Douglasville is the sole caretaker of her young granddaughter. Samantha has cancer and multiple chronic illnesses, but because she makes just over $6,300 per year, she doesn’t qualify for Medicaid. She also doesn’t earn enough to get financial assistance for health insurance through the Marketplace. One sympathetic doctor allows her to make low monthly payments for her cancer treatments, but she can’t afford regular care for her other health conditions. Without access to full treatment, she struggles to take care of herself while making sure her granddaughter gets the support she needs to grow up healthy.
These are not isolated stories. Hundreds of thousands of Georgians—including tens of thousands of women—are living in the coverage gap right now. Many are struggling with treatable conditions, forced to choose between rent and a doctor’s visit, between groceries and medication. These choices should not exist in a state as prosperous as Georgia.
Georgia’s Medicaid Programs Provide Critical Care, But Gaps Remain
Medicaid is a vital source of health coverage for many Georgians, including pregnant women, children, seniors, and people with disabilities. It helps thousands access essential care, manage chronic conditions, and afford prescriptions. However, strict eligibility rules leave many low-income women, caregivers, and working adults without coverage.
Georgia’s Medicaid program has significant gaps. Pregnancy Medicaid covers women only during pregnancy and for 12 months postpartum, while Women’s Health Medicaid is limited to breast and cervical cancer treatment, leaving out those with other serious conditions. Pathways to Coverage, marketed as an alternative, imposes work requirements that many women—especially those with chronic illnesses or caregiving responsibilities—cannot meet. Instead of easing access to care, Georgia’s policies create unnecessary barriers, keeping women uninsured and struggling.
Learn more about these programs and how to access free, unbiased insurance help by checking out this blog from our Coalition member Georgians for a Healthy Future.
Medicaid Expansion is the Solution
There is a simple way to close Georgia’s coverage gap: Expand Medicaid.
By expanding Medicaid, Georgia could provide health coverage to more than 240,000 uninsured Georgians—including thousands of women who are currently left behind. Medicaid expansion would:
- Ensure women have access to health care at every stage of life—not just during pregnancy. Right now, women like Taylor, who work full-time and still can’t qualify for Medicaid, are left uninsured and struggling to afford care for themselves and their families.
- Help women with chronic illnesses get treatment before they end up in the ER or facing life-threatening conditions. Conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease shouldn’t be left untreated simply because someone earns slightly above the Medicaid income limit.
- Expand access to life-saving care for caregivers and older adults. Women like Samantha who are raising grandchildren while managing serious health conditions, shouldn’t have to rely on piecemeal medical care simply because they fall into the coverage gap.
- Provide a clear path to coverage without burdensome work requirements. The current Pathways to Coverage program forces women to complete work or job training hours to qualify for Medicaid, even if they are too sick to work or in unstable job situations. Medicaid expansion would eliminate these unnecessary hurdles and make coverage accessible to those who need it most.
Instead of creating roadblocks, Georgia should be making it easier, not harder, for women to get the care they need to stay healthy and support their families. Expanding Medicaid is the right thing to do—for Georgia’s women, families, and future.
Georgia Women Deserve Better. It’s Time to Act.
For years, lawmakers have had the opportunity to expand Medicaid and provide lifesaving coverage to women across Georgia—but they have refused. Meanwhile, women are suffering, families are losing loved ones, and communities are bearing the costs of an avoidable health crisis.
Georgia women deserve better than excuses and half-measures like Pathways to Coverage. They deserve access to care when they need it. Call your legislator today. Tell them it’s time to expand Medicaid and close Georgia’s coverage gap.
- Find your state lawmakers and contact them here: Contact Your Legislator
- Join Cover Georgia and demand change: Cover Georgia Coalition
- Your story matters. If you or a loved one has struggled to get health care because of Georgia’s coverage gap, Cover Georgia wants to hear from you. Share your experience through our story collection portal and help us advocate for real solutions.
The women of Georgia should not have to wait another year, another month, or another day to get the health care they need. Their lives, their futures, and their families depend on it.