It’s time to tell our legislators that we support the expansion of Medicaid in Georgia.
Call or email:
District 118: Rep. Spencer Frye: spencer.frye@house.ga.gov or (404) 656-0265
Make sure to tell your friends in other districts to call their state legislators, too. Don’t know who your legislators are? Find out here.
Despite our median and minimum wages being below the national average, making us the fifth-poorest state, Georgia is one of 14 states that has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. House Bill 37, the Expand Medicaid Now Act, would allow us to tap into $3 billion in federal funds each year, directed toward providing healthcare for adults with low incomes, helping more people have stable medical care.
The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute reports that without these funds, health care accessibility “is only getting worse.” Our uninsured rate of 12.9 percent (fifth worst in the country) could climb to more than 25 percent by 2026. HB 37 would allow residents under 138 percent of the federal poverty level ($16,750 for an individual, $22,715 for a family of two and $28,675 for a family of three) to receive the necessary care for a healthy life.
Georgia can easily afford to expand Medicaid. It just needs to make it a priority. According to the GBPI, “Closing the coverage gap would extend health coverage to almost half a million Georgians, support struggling hospitals, create 56,000 jobs, and bring in $3 billion from the federal government. The net cost to Georgia would be $136 million a year on average.”
Personalized calls are more effective than multiple calls reading the same script, so express your personal feelings frankly! Here is an
example script that you can build off of or use:
Hello, My name is [NAME], calling from [CITY].My name is [NAME], calling from [CITY]. I’m calling today because I support the expansion of Medicaid. Please vote yes on HB 37 to ensure that every person has access to high-quality healthcare. Refusing the federal funds entitled to us, the Georgia government has forced 240,000 Georgians to go without health insurance. Please accept the federal funding promised to us from the ACA to promote the health and lives of all Georgians.
Thank you for the chance to share my concerns.
Feel free to modify the script, depending on whom you’re calling.
Please contact your legislators TODAY.
TELL THEM: Vote yes on HB 37 (expanding Medicaid)!
Thanks for caring,
Legislative Action Network Athens for Everyone
Want to get these alerts in your inbox?
Sign up here.
by
by 
