Access to health care should be expanded, not restricted

By Henry Kahn, M.D.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 23, 2023

Commissioner Caylee Noggle has alerted us to the “huge undertaking” faced by her Georgia Department of Community Health in the months ahead. Her staff must examine the circumstances of 2.7 million Medicaid enrollees to drop those who no longer qualify under the restrictive rules of our state’s program.

We can help Commissioner Noggle. Let’s take a load off her staff by expanding Medicaid to every Georgian who otherwise cannot access health care. We won’t need to review millions of case files or expel anyone from the program. Expanding Medicaid will also reduce stress on Georgia medical facilities that risk closure because of uncompensated care.

Better yet, we should enact universal, single-payer health coverage for everyone from the cradle to the grave: Expanded, improved Medicare For All. Such a plan will improve our health and save money by reducing our current system’s bureaucratic complexity and overhead expenses.

https://www.ajc.com…