Healthcare costs take center stage as national tour stops in Georgia

A national bus tour made two stops in Georgia last week in Columbus and Savannah. Their mission was to advocate for lower healthcare costs.

The Sick of It! Fix Health Care Now tour was organized by Protect Our Care, an organization that is asking Congress to restore Affordable Care Act tax credits, reverse Medicaid cuts and expand Medicare drug price negotiations.

Laura Packard is a cancer survivor and small business owner traveling with the tour. For her, the issue is personal.

“The Affordable Care Act saved my life but Republican cuts to healthcare in the big bill last year have resulted in increased costs for everybody. Personally, my insurance plan went up 21% for the same exact plan as last year and it’s going up double digits again for next year,” Packard said.

Georgia’s Affordable Care Act premiums are expected to rise by more than 20% in 2027 while the state maintains one of the highest uninsured rates in the country at about 11%. 

Packard said the state’s Medicaid program causes the greatest alarm because the state never fully expanded coverage.

“The partial expansion was only for some people, and millions of dollars were spent at consulting companies instead of providing healthcare because of Republican choices in the state legislature,” Packard asserted. “It is a shame for Georgians. Millions of Georgians should have had healthcare.”

Georgia’s Department of Community Health has said the Pathways program is unsustainable and requested the federal government increase its funding match to 90%.