YOUR SAY: Past time to expand Medicaid in Georgia to close the gap

In 2016, Georgia legislators have an opportunity to expand Medicaid and extend health-care coverage to hundreds of thousands of our family members and neighbors. Elected officials must agree to stand together across party lines. Our citizens are ready for us to take action.

Simply ask any of the 300,000 Georgians who fall into Georgia's insurance ";coverage gap," meaning they do not qualify for Medicaid coverage and do not make enough income for tax subsidies to purchase private insurance, or the additional 178,000 who currently qualify for subsidies but cannot afford them. Expanding Medicaid would close this gap.

Half of all uninsured adults in Bibb, Macon, Peach, Twiggs, Baldwin and Hancock counties would receive coverage if we choose to act. Even more compelling are the 32,000 veterans and their spouses who would receive vital preventative care, low-cost prescriptions and mental health services through Medicaid expansion.

The economic benefits of expanding Medicaid in Georgia are substantial. Medicaid expansion would create over 3,300 jobs and generate approximately $156 million in new income in Macon and surrounding areas of Middle Georgia.

Expansion provides a path to a healthier Georgia, and until we choose to pursue it our state will continue to suffer. Five rural hospitals have closed in the past three years, and 15 more are considered financially fragile, which could jeopardize health care access for nearly one in 10 Georgians. Locally, financial strain has led to tough decisions as Macon County's Flint River hospital shutting its emergency room. Since the closure, transport times have spiked to 30 minutes or more, and the county has spent an additional $400,000 on EMS services to other hospitals.

In Hancock County, the effects of Hancock Memorial's 2001 closure are still sending shockwaves through the community. Ambulance trips to neighboring counties can mean trips of 50 miles or more. Hancock does not have a full-time primary care doctor and residents often have no choice but to visit the emergency room. Hancock's lack of access to care has become so dire that virtual telehealth exams have been suggested to help people receive care more quickly. Whether you live here or in Baldwin or Twiggs counties, the message is clear: rural hospitals cannot survive without Medicaid expansion and our communities cannot afford to lose access.

We can and must do better. Georgia taxpayers are already footing the bill for Medicaid expansion in other states -- led by Republicans and Democrats. It is time for us to bring those dollars back home. We can support our rural hospitals with much needed funds and give our citizens health care access without going broke. Instead, our communities will generate revenue and expand job opportunities. It is time to build a future where all Georgians can access health care regardless of their income or where they live.

Reps. Nikki Randall and James Beverly are members of the Georgia House Democratic Caucus representing Macon and surrounding areas.

This story was originally published December 3, 2015 at 5:43 PM with the headline "YOUR SAY: Past time to expand Medicaid in Georgia to close the gap ."