ATLANTA, Ga. – As Georgia lawmakers reconvene for the 2025 legislative session, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) looks forward to working with them to prioritize legislation to ease the burden of cancer on Georgians. The following is a statement from Fabienne Antoine-Nasser, Georgia government relations director for ACS CAN:
“Georgia is one of only 10 states that has not closed the coverage gap by fully expanding Medicaid, which would extend critical, lifesaving coverage to nearly 500,000 Georgians. An ACS study finds having health insurance is the number one determinant of whether a person survives cancer.
“Closing the coverage gap offers a better alternative to Georgia Pathways, which only has about 4,000 Georgians enrolled and comes to an end this year. Pathways requirements restrict many patients and caregivers from qualifying. Pathways also costs the state more money to cover fewer people than full Medicaid expansion; the estimated cost to the state for each new Pathways enrollee is $2,490, whereas full Medicaid expansion would cost the state $496 per new enrollee.
“Medicaid expansion offers a more comprehensive answer to Georgia’s health care crisis by covering more people, saving the state millions of dollars and helping to keep rural hospitals open. The time to act is now.”