Dems push Medicaid expansion for left-behind rural Georgia

Southwest Georgia Regional Medical Center in Cuthbert, Ga., shown here on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, closed two years ago. Local officials are trying to reopen the hospital even as health care has become a prominent issue in Georgia elections. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

Nine years after the hospital closed in the southwest Georgia town of Arlington, the worry about health care lurks. Health insurance premiums are high, many residents report poor health and there’s no guarantee Calhoun County’s sole ambulance will arrive promptly if it’s taking a patient to a distant hospital.

“If it’s out on a call, you might as well throw them in the truck then and try to get somewhere,” said resident Sam Robinson.

Arlington, population 1,209, reflects the health care struggles of rural Georgia.