ATLANTA – Georgia will seek federal approval to extend Medicaid coverage to some low-income parents and legal guardians of children through the age of six, Gov. Brian Kemp announced Wednesday.
Georgia Pathways, the limited Medicaid expansion the state launched in 2023, would cover families with young children in households with incomes at or below 100% of the federal poverty level, Kemp said during a news conference at the state Capitol.
“Since Pathways launched, my administration has worked with our legislative partners, subject experts, and stakeholders to evaluate its progress and identify opportunities to streamline and make the program more accessible,” he said.
“With today’s announcement, we are not only keeping families healthy … during a critical time of development, but also making an important investment in our state’s future.”
Currently, Medicaid covers medical care for pregnant women and new mothers up to 12 months after they have given birth. The new proposal would extend coverage past that one-year post-partum period and provide previously unavailable coverage to eligible new fathers upon their child’s birth.
Since its July 2023 launch, Georgia Pathways has provided Medicaid coverage to 8,385 Georgians. Critics have argued thousands more could be covered if the state fully expanded Medicaid, which Kemp, previous Republican governors, and GOP legislative leaders have consistently resisted as too expensive.