The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) board met December 20th via teleconference and gave final approval to Governor Brian Kemp’s 1115 Medicaid Waiver application.

The waiver plan would expand access to Medicaid in Georgia, but include requirements that recipients of the expansion be employed or involved in other activities.

DCH staff reviewed hundreds of public comments, and based on that input 3 changes were made from the original application. The Cover Georgia Coalition explained the changes:

1. The Department of Community Health will evaluate the course load of part-time students and the number of hours spent on other qualifying activities. Some part-time students may now meet the work reporting requirements and be eligible for Medicaid.

2. Adults who are currently enrolled in Medicaid through the Transitional Medicaid Assistance program are no longer included in the waiver, so they will not be subject to any of the work requirements or cost-sharing.

3. The state updated the costs per enrollee and these costs are now higher. The total enrollment estimates remained the same. In the fifth year, the waiver is now expected to cost $306 million in state and federal funds compared to the $233 million estimated in the original application.

The complete waiver application can be found at this link:
https://dch.georgia.gov/events/2019-12-20/special-call-teleconference

The waiver must now go to the federal government for review.