The Bridge to Medicaid Act would provide a temporary health care option for people in the Medicaid coverage gap to get subsidized private health care until non-expansion states like Georgia finally expand Medicaid

This legislation would provide health care to many of the 640,000 Georgians stuck in the Medicaid coverage gap

Senator Reverend Warnock has been committed to expanding Medicaid and strengthening health care access in Georgia in the years following the passage of the Affordable Care Act, when he was arrested protesting Georgia’s refusal to close the coverage gap

Senator Reverend Warnock: “Health care is a human right, and in the richest nation in the world, it’s a travesty that there are still hundreds of thousands of Georgians who don’t have access to the affordable health care they need due solely to the craven decisions of state politicians”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) introduced the Bridge to Medicaid Act to finally provide health care coverage to the hundreds of thousands of Georgians in the health care coverage gap. The legislation would provide a temporary health care option for people in the Medicaid coverage gap to get subsidized private health care until non-expansion states like Georgia finally expand Medicaid. The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Bob Casey (D-PA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Jon Ossoff (D-GA).

“I’ve been fighting since before I came to the Senate to get Georgia to finally expand Medicaid and close the health care coverage gap. Health care is a human right, and in the richest nation in the world, it’s a travesty that there are still hundreds of thousands of Georgians who don’t have access to the affordable health care they need due solely to the craven decisions of state politicians,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “That’s why, as a voice for Georgia in the Senate, I’ve worked tirelessly on the federal level to find a way to close the health care gap in Georgia and the other non-expansion states, including creating an extra $1.2 billion in federal incentives for the state to finally expand Medicaid, and now, why I’m introducing legislation to provide health care coverage for Georgians in the Medicaid gap as a temporary solution until Georgia finally expands Medicaid.

Senator Reverend Warnock continued:“People in the coverage gap can’t wait around for politicians to decide if they want to do the right thing, people need health care now.”

“Our state government’s refusal to expand Medicaid has sentenced countless Georgians to needless suffering and contributed to the closure of Georgia hospitals,” said Senator Ossoff.“I’m glad to join Senator Reverend Warnock and our colleagues in introducing the Bridge to Medicaid Act to ensure all Georgians have great health care and sustain Georgia’s hospitals.”

“For over a decade, Wisconsin Republicans have played politics and refused to expand Medicaid, denying nearly 90,000 Wisconsinites access to affordable, high-quality health care,” said Senator Baldwin.“The Bridge to Medicaid Act will help right this wrong, opening the door to affordable health care for the tens of thousands of Wisconsinites currently locked out of Medicaid and getting more children and families the care they need. Our bill will put Wisconsin on a path to finally expanding Medicaid for good, reducing costs for working families and helping people stay healthy for years to come.”

“Health care is a human right and it’s shameful that millions of Americans still lack access to health care because of where they live,” said Senator Warren.“We must pass the Bridge to Medicaid Act to give people the coverage they have long been promised and close the Medicaid coverage gap for good.”

The Bridge to Medicaid Act would extend subsidies to individuals who are in the coverage gap and who cannot afford insurance on the Marketplace for 3 years. Individuals in non-expansion states making between 100 percent and 138 percent of the federal poverty level would also qualify for these subsidies and enhanced plans.

• Coverage details: 

• Beginning in 2026, current Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies would be available to those below 138 percent of the federal poverty level
• In the first year, those under 138 percent of the federal poverty level would be eligible for plans with reduced deductibles and cost-sharing (defined as a 94 percent actuarial value)
• In 2027 and 2028, these individuals would be eligible for further reductions in cost-sharing charges (plans would have a 99 percent actuarial value) so they can better afford to get care.
• Continuous enrollment applies – once an individual is deemed eligible based on income, they can enroll at any time during the year. 
• The Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for existing expansion populations in expansion states would be enhanced by 3 percent (from 90 percent to 93 percent) for the duration of the coverage gap policy (from 2026-2028).

Endorsing organizations include NAACP, National Action Network, Protect Our Care, Protect Our Care Georgia, SOWEGA Rising, Voices for Georgia’s Children, GBPI. Georgians for a Universal Health Program, Urban League of Greater Atlanta, Community Catalyst, MomsRising, Georgians for a Healthy Future, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Families USA, and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN).

Senator Reverend Warnock has long championed efforts to expand affordable health care access, starting with his advocacy to close the health care coverage gap in Georgia. In addition to pushing for solutions to close the coverage gap, the Senator is committed to preserving and protecting access to health care for the most vulnerable. In 2022, the Senator led a delegation of Georgia lawmakers in urging the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) to provide tools to Medicaid non-expansion states like Georgia to help them protect health care access for Medicaid enrollees who lose eligibility after the public health emergency declaration ends. Last year, Senator Warnock also urged the CMS to ensure that the gains made in reducing the number of uninsured children are not lost as states begin to unwind some Medicaid policies that have been in place since the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency. In January, Senator Warnock made his first visit to Georgia’s legislative session as a U.S. Senator to meet with Georgia state lawmakers in both parties and discuss their priorities. During his visit he touched on several issues impacting Georgians but highlighted the need to expand Medicaid for more than 640,000 Georgians. This year, the Senator’s State of the Union guest was Heather Payne, an ER nurse stuck in the coverage gap. 

Full bill text available HERE.

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