As Georgia voters consider whom they want to be their next governor, a recent poll reveals that many are concerned about the rising cost of health care.
The University of Georgia recently conducted a poll of nearly 1,000 likely voters to gather their opinions on which election issues matter most to them.
The poll, sponsored by the Georgia Health Initiative, found that while over 90% of respondents had health insurance, roughly 75% of Democrats stated that health care across the state was not affordable. About 49% of Republicans said prices weren’t affordable.
Respondents were polled on a variety of questions, but one question asked if they agreed or disagreed that the price of health care continues to rise while the quality has not improved. About 90% of Democrats stated that they agreed, while about 77% of Republicans agreed.
M.V. Hood III, the UGA political science professor heading the survey, told the Daily Signal that there was “a lot of consensus across all types of partisan categories on a lot of these high-level health care issues.”
“People are very concerned about insurance premiums, copays and deductibles, [and] prescriptions,” Hood said.
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One of the questions asked respondents what priority the next governor should give to health care. The survey found that 86% of Democrats believed health care should be a priority for the state’s next governor. By comparison, 43% of Republicans echoed that opinion.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Democrat candidate for governor, has offered her plan to address the health care concerns expressed by Democrats. Speaking earlier this year at a governors’ forum, she stated, “If I am given the honor of being elected governor of this state, my day one priority will be to expand Medicaid in this state.”
Bottoms added, “Expanding Medicaid is not just about those who are recipients, it’s about those who need access to hospitals in our rural communities.”
Charles Bullock, a professor of political science at the University of Georgia, commented on the issue of Medicaid expansion for the Democratic Party, telling the Daily Signal, “It certainly is an issue that Democrats have run on.”
On the other hand, Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson has proposed a slightly different alternative. On expanding Medicaid, he stated his intent is to seek out a federal grant to institute what he refers to as “an intelligent Medicaid expansion,” The Current reported.
Through this expansion, he pledged to create training programs that would grant Medicaid recipients the tools and skills needed to secure a job that offers insurance.
However, despite both candidates’ Medicaid proposals, a small number of respondents to the survey on both sides of the aisle stated that their primary health care coverage came through Medicaid, a national and state-based program that gives those with limited income access to health care.
A meager 2.5% of Republicans stated that their main coverage was a result of Medicaid, with nearly 8% of Democrats saying the same.
The candidates discussed their plans for health care in greater detail at the state’s Chamber of Commerce Congressional Luncheon earlier this month. Bottoms spoke before Jackson, telling reporters that in addition to her plan to expand Medicaid, “part of it [the health care plan] includes creating a prescription review board to help us lower prescription costs in this state.”
Jackson was joined by Gov. Brian Kemp and discussed with reporters his plan for an “intelligent Medicaid expansion.”
“And what I mean by that is to have the ability to have flexibility to have a block grant from the president,” Jackson said.
He also added that he planned to “reduce the cost of commercial insurance.”
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