By skyforbes 
Makes comments at Perry debate saying Georgia cannot afford to expand Medicaid
By Alyssa Maker
Gov. Nathan Deal responded to the question regarding Medicaid in the first formal debate for Georgia state Governor against other candidates, Jason Carter and Andrew Hunt.
Deal made the comments during the Georgia gubernatorial debate held at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry on Oct. 6. The full debate was distributed by WABE in Atlanta.
Deal is running for his second term in office. He made the decision that the state could not afford to expand Medicaid because it would have been a two and a half billion dollar cost to the state treasury over 10 years’ time.
He was asked if the state of Georgia cannot afford the expansion of Medicaid, will this impact rural Georgia, declining the health system in ways that some companies may not expand into the state?
The Medicaid population has already grown by 13 percentwithout expanding eligibility. The expansion is costing the state, in this year’s budget, $351 ½ million additional dollars for the health benefit plan and the existing Medicaid program.
“We are having to come up with that just to maintain what we have,” Deal said.
Deal says the $2.5 billion dollars would have to come from new money and Deal has not heard from Senator Carter where he intends to get the $2 ½ billion dollars in new money.
Election Day is Nov. 4. Early voting is under way at government offices throughout the state.
Please click here to read more from the debate.
Header photo by Kristin Ausk via Flickr.