Georgia and other red states that have resisted Medicaid expansion are feeling pressure to give up

Aides to Gov. Brian Kemp recently sent word to lawmakers he was skeptical of an expansion of the state's Medicaid program, pouring cold water on a push earlier in the session to provide health coverage for hundreds of thousands of uninsured Georgians. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

Just 10 states have not expanded Medicaid – mostly in the South, where Republicans dominate state legislatures. But a decade after the Affordable Care Act made the option available, Medicaid expansion is becoming harder to resist.

In December, North Carolina became the latest state to expand Medicaid. And now, GOP power brokers in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia suggest there might be an opening to join them – eventually.

Over plates of fried chicken and mashed potatoes, Georgia legislators and policymakers – including many Republicans – gathered near the State Capitol to hear from neighboring states that took the plunge.