Governor Brian Kemp (R), in partnership with the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), has announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved an extension of the Georgia Pathways to Coverage program.
This Georgia-centric approach has been a key health initiative, increasing access to affordable health coverage for able-bodied beneficiaries, lowering the uninsured rate across Georgia, and supporting members on their way to financial independence.
The extension will begin on October 1, 2025, and will allow the program to continue through December 31, 2026. It will include three major updates that are designed to improve the experience of low-income Georgians who are eligible.
First, parents and legal guardians of children under six and enrolled in Medicaid will now be considered an additional qualifying activity, in addition to the previously approved qualifying activities of working, volunteering, and educational pursuits.
Second, members will now only be required to report qualifying activities and hours at application and at annual renewal to continue their coverage. This will align with reporting requirements of other Medicaid programs in Georgia and reduce administrative burdens on both beneficiaries and the state.
Third, a retroactive coverage policy will be established for the Pathways to Coverage program, meaning coverage will now begin on the first day of the month in which an application is received.
Though first approved by CMS in 2019, the Georgia Pathways to Coverage program launch was delayed by repeated legal challenges from the Biden administration. Each of those legal challenges was defeated and implementation was finally granted in 2023.
Despite the delays, however, over 15,000 Georgians have already benefited from the program, and other states are now looking to Georgia’s model as a path to follow for their own Medicaid programs.
Gov. Kemp expressed gratitude to the Trump Administration and CMS for this approval and is optimistic about the expanded coverage to thousands of people.
"Unlike the previous administration which chose to sue, obstruct, and delay, President Trump and his team have worked alongside us to improve Georgia Pathways and ultimately deliver a better program to Georgians who need it most,” Kemp commented. “We look forward to continuing that partnership in the months ahead."
