Bottoms puts Medicaid expansion at top of agenda

ATLANTA — In her first news conference after Election Day, Georgia's governor-elect, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, said she will be focus on the cost of living, access to healthcare and funding for public education — the affordability issues she said voters had elected her to address. Expanding Medicaid will top her agenda, she said, noting that hundreds of thousands of Georgians lack health insurance due to the state's approach to Medicaid and because of increasingly unaffordable premiums for coverage under the Affordable Care Act. kAm“%96 A6@A=6 >256 :E =@F5 2?5 4=62C H92E E96J 42C6 23@FE] %96J H2?E =6256CD H9@ 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 255C6DD E9@D6 <:E496? E23=6 :DDF6D E92E 2C6 :>A24E:?8 E96:C 52:=J =:G6D[” q@EE@>D D2:5 2E E96 v6@C8:2 r2A:E@= uC:52J[ }@G] e[ 7=2?<65 3J >6>36CD @7 96C EC2?D:E:@? E62>]k^Am kAm$96 D2:5 v@G] qC:2? z6>A 42==65 96C @? 6=64E:@? ?:89E 2?5 E92E E96J DA@<6 E96 ?6IE 52J] $96 D2:5 E96 EH@\E6C> #6AF3=:42? E@=5 96C 96 H@F=5 96=A 96C H:E9 96C EC2?D:E:@? E@ E96 8@G6C?@CVD @77:46] $96 25565 E92E E96 EH@ 92G6 2 “G6CJ 4@C5:2=[ 7C:6?5=J[ A6CD@?2= C6=2E:@?D9:A” 56DA:E6 E96:C A@=:4J 5:776C6?46D]k^Am kAm~?6 DF49 5:776C6?46 :D z6>AVD 2AAC@249 E@ |65:42:5[ 2 H@C<\32D65 AC@8C2> 42==65 !2E9H2JD E@ r@G6C286] p 7656C2= v@G6C?>6?E p44@F?E23:=:EJ ~77:46 C6A@CE 7@F?5 9:89 @G6C9625 2?5 =@H 6?C@==>6?E] #64:A:6?ED >FDE H@C<[ G@=F?E66C @C E2<6 4=2DD6D g_ 9@FCD 2 >@?E9 E@ BF2=:7J]k^Am kAm“xVG6 E2=<65 23@FE 4@>A=6E6=J 86EE:?8 C:5 @7 E96 v6@C8:2 !2E9H2JD[” q@EE@>D D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E D96 H2?ED 2 DJDE6> E92E @776CD 36EE6C 2446DD E@ 277@C523=6 962=E942C6]k^Am kAm!C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>AVD ~?6 q:8 q62FE:7F= q:== p4E 7C@> =2DE J62C C6BF:C6D 46CE2:? ?@?\AC68?2?E 25F=E |65:42:5 6?C@==66D E@ H@C<[ 2EE6?5 D49@@= @C 5@ 4@>>F?:EJ D6CG:46]k^Am kAmu:?5:?8 6?@F89 >@?6J E@ 6IA2?5 |65:42:5 4@F=5 36 5:77:4F=E] {2H>2<6CD 2?5 E96 8@G6C?@C 92G6 DA6?E 5@H? >F49 @7 v6@C8:2VD @?46 2>A=6 3F586E DFCA=FD[ :? A2CE 3J D6?5:?8 >@?6J 324< E@ E2IA2J6CD E9C@F89 :?4@>6 E2I C632E6D 2?5 C2E6 4FED 2?5 E9C@F89 E6>A@C2CJ DFDA6?D:@?D @7 E96 >@E@C 7F6= 6I4:D6 E2I]k^Am kAmz6>A 92D C2:D65 E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 2 DA64:2= D6DD:@? E9:D J62C E@ 255C6DD E96 3F586E] q@EE@>D D2:5 D96 H:== D4@FC E96 3F586E E@ 7:?5 E96 ?646DD2CJ 7F?5:?8 E@ 6IA2?5 |65:42:5] %2I 3C622? 6=64E65 8@G6C?@C :? &]$] 9:DE@CJ]k^Am kAm“x 5@?VE E2<6 E92E =:89E=J] x 36=:6G6 E92E :E :D C6AC6D6?E2E:G6 @7 ;FDE E96 36DE @7 H9@ H6 2== 2C6[ E92E :? E9:D A=246[ E96 $@FE9[ H:E9 @FC G6CJ C:49 9:DE@CJ[ E92E v6@C8:2 86ED E@ 3C62< E92E 32CC:6C[” q@EE@>D D2:5] “$@[ xV> 8C2E67F= 7@C :E 2?5 2D xVG6 D2:5 C6A62E65=J[ x =@@< 7@CH2C5 E@ C6AC6D6?E:?8 2== @7 v6@C8:2]”k^Am