10/15/2026
Rural Health Crisis in Georgia
According to this AJC article, the crisis is being caused by a “one-two punch”.
The First punch was ripping a trillion dollars out of Medicaid in HR-1.
The Second punch was failing to extend the tax credit subsidies under the Affordable Care Act to help people buy insurance.
Without Medicaid or ACA subsidies, low and middle income Georgians saw their insurance premiums double or even triple over the last year. Since last fall, 400,000 Georgians have simply dropped their ACA coverage. But they will still get sick.
In rural areas, hospitals are already underfunded and their staff overworked. That causes more debt for the facilities for uncompensated care, more strain on staff, and more limited access to care.
It is certain we will see more Georgia rural hospitals close under this pressure.
The solution: Fund Medicaid now! Extend the ACA tax credit subsidies. The health of our state depends on it.
This link has more details: https://www.ajc.com/news/2026/10/am-atl-health-scare/
