Gov. Deal Says Ga Will Hold Off Making Key Healthcare Decisions

Although the Affordable Care Act now moves forward as legislated, Governor Nathan Deal Thursday said the state will continue to hold off on making key decisions.

One involves expanding Medicaid to include 620,000 additional Georgians.

The Supreme Court ruling allows states to resist the federal government’s call to increase the Medicaid rolls.

But no increase means no new federal money.

“The taxpayers of the state of Georgia will be paying as federal taxpayers to support the expansions of other states ,” Deal said.  “And if ours are excluded, that’s certainly a question we would have to ask if that is prudent.”

Deal said it’s too early to make that choice.

Insurance Exchanges

Another key point of the Affordable Care Act involves insurance exchanges, where individuals can go and shop for a policy.

The federal government has given states a Nov. 16^th deadline to choose whether to create their own exchanges, or opt into the federal program.

Governor Deal did not indicate which way Georgia might go.

“We will be looking at those questions and trying to determine the answers,” Deal said, indicating the state could wait until Election Day to make a move.

If the state waits until then, that would leave officials just 10 days to come up with a program.