A scathing new report by KFF has found that under Gov. Brian Kemp’s failing “Pathways to Coverage” health care scheme - which has cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars while covering fewer than 5,000 Georgians since its rollout - Georgia now has the slowest processing time for Medicaid applications in the country, leaving thousands of Georgians unable to access benefits for which they have qualified.

“As evidence mounts that Governor Kemp’s failed signature health care scheme hurts Georgians, he refuses to reverse course to fully expand Medicaid to help Georgians in need,” said DPG spokesperson Dave Hoffman. “Governor Kemp continuing to hold Georgians’ health care hostage - just to protect his pride — is a failure of governance, plain and simple.”

The report finds that Gov. Kemp’s work requirement has significantly worsened Medicaid and food aid processing times since its troubled rollout more than a year ago. Gov. Kemp’s “dismal,”  “not promising,” “too costly, too limited” health care plan has cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars, mainly on consulting fees, while covering fewer than 5,000 Georgians – “a tiny fraction” of the Georgians that would be covered under full Medicaid expansion, for which Democrats have been advocating for nearly a decade.