Georgia Gov. Kemp's Medicaid waiver proposal passes Senate
ATLANTA (AP) - A bill authorizing Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to pursue Medicaid waivers has passed the state Senate.
Lawmakers voted 32-20 to approve the legislation Tuesday. It now goes to the House for consideration.
Kemp has said full Medicaid expansion isn't an option. The proposal would give Georgia the flexibility to adopt a more conservative plan.
Kemp says the measure should improve access to and affordability of health care.
Democrats worry it will increase health care costs and cover less people. They want a full Medicaid expansion, instead.
Georgia is one of 14 states that haven't fully expanded Medicaid as prescribed under the Affordable Care Act. The expansion was intended to be nationwide, but a 2012 Supreme Court ruling effectively made it optional for states.