Medicare for All is the solution Georgians deserve

During the recently concluded legislative session, one of the most consequential bills in a generation was dropped in the Georgia House of Representatives: the Georgia Medicare for All bill (House Bill 1480).

The legislation, had it passed, would lower costs for working families, protect bodily autonomy, reduce administrative waste and stabilize dozens of rural hospitals that are now on the brink. Most importantly, it would remove the major profit motives to refocus health care on what matters most: the patients.

In recent months, Georgia politicians on the right, including former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and state Rep. and House Appropriations Committee Chair Matt Hatchett, R-Dublin, have garnered attention for their public criticism of the health insurance industry.

Their comments reflect a broader and growing frustration, shared by conservatives and progressives alike, with a system that prioritizes corporate earnings over patient care.

But Georgians have known the truth for much longer. Families are skipping doctor’s visits because of high deductibles. Seniors are splitting pills to make their medications last longer. Small businesses that want to provide coverage simply can’t afford the premiums. And rural hospitals are closing down, leaving people to drive hours for medical needs.

At long last, HB 1480 gives Georgians the solution they deserve.

Poor health outcomes could get worse for Peach State

State Rep. Gabriel Sanchez, D-Smyrna, serves District 42 in the Georgia House of Representatives. (Courtesy)

Recent polling from Data for Progress shows that nearly two-thirds of Americans support Medicare for All, including nearly one-half of Republican voters. There is good reason for it. While the United States already spends nearly twice as much per capita on health care as other wealthy nations, it lags behind them on basic outcomes like life expectancy and maternal mortality.

This isn’t because Americans receive too much care; it’s because our system wastes enormous sums on administrative complexity and profit extraction.

Administrative costs alone approach as high as $1 trillion annually, money diverted away from patient care into billing systems, prior authorization, executive compensation and shareholder returns. In 2024, the CEOs of the six largest health insurers collectively earned nearly $160 million, while patients delayed care, families fell into medical debt, and people died because of lack of care.

And now, Congressional Republicans’ so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” (H.R. 1) proposed more than $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade, the largest rollback of the program in U.S. history.

Recent polling from Data for Progress shows that nearly two-thirds of Americans support Medicare for All, including nearly one-half of Republican voters. There is good reason for it. While the United States already spends nearly twice as much per capita on health care as other wealthy nations, it lags behind them on basic outcomes like life expectancy and maternal mortality.

This isn’t because Americans receive too much care; it’s because our system wastes enormous sums on administrative complexity and profit extraction.

Administrative costs alone approach as high as $1 trillion annually, money diverted away from patient care into billing systems, prior authorization, executive compensation and shareholder returns. In 2024, the CEOs of the six largest health insurers collectively earned nearly $160 million, while patients delayed care, families fell into medical debt, and people died because of lack of care.

And now, Congressional Republicans’ so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” (H.R. 1) proposed more than $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade, the largest rollback of the program in U.S. history.

Here in Georgia, the consequences would be devastating. Medicaid alone covers more than half of all births in our state. According to KFF Health News, more than 310,000 Georgians could lose health coverage by 2034 as a result of changes to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act programs under H.R. 1.

That number could climb as high as 750,000 after Congress allowed ACA premium tax credits to expire at the start of this year. For a state that already ranks 17th worst in the nation for health outcomes, these losses would deepen existing inequities and strain an already fragile health care system.

Guarantee comprehensive coverage for all Georgians

Dr. Toby Terwilliger is an Atlanta-based physician who sits on the board of directors of Physicians for a National Health Program. (Courtesy)

Incremental fixes may temporarily soften the sharpest edges of a broken system, but they cannot fix its core failure. As long as profit-driven insurance companies sit between patients and care, costs will rise, providers will burn out, and coverage will remain unstable. Medicare for All addresses this problem at its root by removing the middleman and putting patients, providers, and communities first.

That’s why we introduced the Georgia Medicare for All bill — a bold and necessary step to ensure every Georgian can access the care they need, no matter what. This legislation establishes a Georgia Medicare for All Board to administer the program and secure sustainable funding, ensuring that decisions about care are driven by public health needs rather than corporate profits.

The bill guarantees comprehensive coverage, including everything currently covered under Medicare and state programs, while expanding access to community-based care, dental and vision services, and full reproductive and maternal health care through the Reproductive Freedom Act. Health care should be a guarantee for every American, and this legislation makes that promise real.

Incremental fixes may temporarily soften the sharpest edges of a broken system, but they cannot fix its core failure. As long as profit-driven insurance companies sit between patients and care, costs will rise, providers will burn out, and coverage will remain unstable. Medicare for All addresses this problem at its root by removing the middleman and putting patients, providers, and communities first.

That’s why we introduced the Georgia Medicare for All bill — a bold and necessary step to ensure every Georgian can access the care they need, no matter what. This legislation establishes a Georgia Medicare for All Board to administer the program and secure sustainable funding, ensuring that decisions about care are driven by public health needs rather than corporate profits.

The bill guarantees comprehensive coverage, including everything currently covered under Medicare and state programs, while expanding access to community-based care, dental and vision services, and full reproductive and maternal health care through the Reproductive Freedom Act. Health care should be a guarantee for every American, and this legislation makes that promise real.

At a time when wages have stagnated and households are squeezed by an affordability crisis, it is indefensible to allow an industry that consumes nearly one-fifth of our GDP to profit while Georgians go without care.

Georgia has a choice. We can allow federal cuts and corporate interests to hollow out our health care system, or we can lead.