Governor Brian P. Kemp, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), announced today that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved an extension of the Georgia Pathways to Coverage™ program. This program is an innovative and Georgia-centric health initiative that increases access to affordable health coverage for able-bodied beneficiaries, lowers the uninsured rate, and supports members on their journeys to financial independence. Since its launch, Georgia Pathways has served 15,427 beneficiaries.

"We’re grateful to the Trump administration and CMS for this approval, which supports our innovative, Georgia-centric approach to providing healthcare coverage to thousands of hardworking Georgians," said Governor Brian Kemp. "Unlike the previous administration which chose to sue, obstruct, and delay, President Trump and his team have worked alongside us to improve Georgia Pathways and ultimately deliver a better program to Georgians who need it most. We look forward to continuing that partnership in the months ahead."

The extension will begin on October 1, 2025, and will allow the program to continue through December 31, 2026. It includes updates designed to expand access to coverage and improve the experience for eligible low-income Georgians. Key updates include:

• Parents and legal guardians of children under six and enrolled in Medicaid will now be considered an additional qualifying activity, in addition to the previously approved qualifying activities of working, volunteering, and educational pursuits.

• Members will now only be required to report qualifying activities and hours at application and at annual renewal to continue their coverage. This will align with reporting requirements of other Medicaid programs in Georgia and reduce administrative burdens on both beneficiaries and the state.

• A retroactive coverage policy will be established for the Pathways to Coverage program, meaning coverage will now begin on the first day of the month in which an application is received.

Although first approved by CMS in 2019, the Georgia Pathways to Coverage program's launch was delayed by legal challenges from the Biden administration. Each of those legal challenges was defeated, and implementation was finally granted in 2023, but only after the federally-mandated Medicaid redetermination process had begun. These delays and the launch during the redetermination process resulted in greater upfront costs for the program. Nevertheless, over 15,000 Georgians have already benefited from the program. With improvements mandated by H.R. 1 of the U.S. Congress earlier this year, other states are now looking to Georgia’s model for their own Medicaid programs.