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Health professional that is a top federal official in charge of negotiating with Governor Brian’s Kemp on a Southern state and city’s high-stakes health care proposals visited for the first time on Tuesday. It was her job as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator. But, unfortunately, she had no answers for when any of the half-million adults who are uninsured under Medicaid rules might have a pathway for coverage. In fact, Kemp and the official, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, did not even meet. Also, a Kemp spokeswoman said that his office wasn’t even inviting.

Health Care Waiver Plans

The Trump Administration has stamped a last-minute approval on which it has been more than a year on two of Kemp’s health care “waiver” plans. This is like Trump’s presidential term has drawn to a close. Also, it has been many months since the Biden administration did raise concerns and paused the plans.

There are half a million Georgians that do remain uninsured. In fact, they are too poor for subsidized ACA exchange insurance under federal law. Plus, they are too old to qualify for Medicaid under Georgia rules.

However, both sides say they are still in talks.

Brooks-LaSure said, “We are having conservations with Georgia. That is what she answered when pressed on the waivers.

Therefore “the discussions are continuing” with the administration, a spokeswoman for Kemp, Katie Byrd said.

Some but unfortunately not all Georgians would end up being covering. This is regarding Kemp’s waiver proposal for Medicaid expansion. For Georgia to expand Medicaid to all of its poor adults would be what the Biden administration would prefer.

Georgia does propose to expand Medicaid, instead, to only those who do meet the specific activity requirements.

Instead, Georgia proposes to expand Medicaid only to those who meet certain activity requirements. These would include working at a regular job for 80 hours per month. Activities that would not, in fact, qualify include off-the-books jobs that are taking care of an elderly relative.

More than 400,000 people, according to Kemp’s office estimated, would not meet the Medicaid requirements. They would be left uninsured. Therefore, Kemp and the Trump administration did argue that the proposal is going to improve people’s lives by valuing work. Also, the Biden administration does argue that it adds really unnecessary barriers to coverage.