New state healthcare commission named starting process of possibly expanding Medicaid in GA

The process to determine if fully expanding Medicaid for low-income and uninsured Georgians is about to begin.

Next month, a state health care commission will begin considering options including if the governor’s Pathways program is the best way to achieve that goal.

“I think we make really good decisions when we deal with the facts,” House Speaker Jon Burns told Channel 2′s Richard Elliot.

Elliot spoke exclusively with Burns Friday at his home in Effingham County about the new state healthcare commission.

He made his picks for it Thursday: A vice president of an elderly healthcare association, an ophthalmologist, a general surgeon, and the CEO of a Macon healthcare company.

Burns told Elliot that he wants them to get those facts.

“This commission will help us put the facts before us and will challenge us. It’ll challenge us to make some decisions that sometimes may be out of the norm,” Burns said.

Last session, the Republican speaker said he wasn’t opposed to fully expanding Medicaid, something Republicans initially opposed but he put that on hold, wanting to give Gov. Brian Kemp’s Georgia Pathways idea time to work.

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Kemp still opposes full expansion.

State democrats thought they had a deal to get a Senate vote on it in March, but at the last second, it failed to get out of a committee.

“And this session, yet again, Georgia Republicans chose to look at patients in need with an obvious solution in reach and they chose to do nothing,” State Rep. Michelle Au said.

The governor’s choice to lead the commission, Georgia Hospital Association president Caylee Noggle said in a statement that she’s looking forward to starting work and explore all options.

Burns thinks all sides are working toward the same goal -- to help Georgians.

The lieutenant governor will pick four positions as well.

The commission will begin next month and will deliver its recommendations to the legislature in January.

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