The Atlanta Journal-Constitution · Greg Bluestein · September 8, 2026
Rick Jackson proposes ‘intelligent Medicaid expansion’ in Georgia
# Rick Jackson proposes ‘intelligent Medicaid expansion’ in Georgia
The GOP nominee’s plan would go beyond Gov. Brian Kemp’s Pathways to Coverage program while stopping short of the full expansion Democrats support.
Republican nominee for governor Rick Jackson — seen here at a news conference in Atlanta last week — said Tuesday that his administration would seek to broaden Medicaid coverage while preserving work requirements for some recipients. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
By Greg Bluestein
43 minutes ago
Republican Rick Jackson is pledging to close Georgia’s health insurance coverage gap by embracing what he calls an “intelligent Medicaid expansion” to address one of the state’s most politically contentious fights.
The GOP nominee for governor said Tuesday his approach would broaden coverage while preserving work requirements for some Medicaid recipients and protecting hundreds of thousands of Georgians who receive subsidies for private insurance plans.
“We will cover those who need it the most and keep work requirements in place for those who are able,” said Jackson, a billionaire healthcare executive. “And we will not force the 500,000 people who have subsidized private plans onto a government plan.”
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Democrat nominee for governor Keisha Lance Bottoms — pictured during a news conference in Lawrenceville last week — said Georgia’s refusal to expand Medicaid has resulted in shuttered hospitals and has left more Georgians vulnerable. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
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## A new GOP approach
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Republican nominee for governor Rick Jackson (right) — pictured sharing hands with President Donald Trump during a July event in Cobb County — has vowed to be Trump’s “favorite governor.” (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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## A broader healthcare agenda
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Gov. Brian Kemp (center) — pictured here flanked by Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns (left) and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones during a 2025 news conference — created the Pathways to Coverage program during his first term. Enrollment is far below what his office once projected, and the administration recently said the program could become financially unsustainable without about more federal money. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
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- Taxes and affordability: Cut Georgia’s income tax in half during his first term; eliminate the state income tax on tips; eliminate state taxes on utilities; suspend the gas tax during most major price spikes; and tighten the process for local property tax increases by requiring specific notice, a public hearing and a recorded vote. - Housing: Speed up permitting and inspections with clearer deadlines and more streamlined systems. - Data centers: Jackson says Georgia should not approve new data centers unless the local community supports them, the projects provides tangible local benefits, they do not increase local utility costs and they meet strict environmental standards. - Jobs and workforce: Expand access to capital and training for small businesses; create “microtech centers” in communities that lose major employers; and expand apprenticeships and work-based learning. - Third grade reading: Make reading on grade level by the end of third grade a central statewide goal; identify struggling students earlier; expand intensive intervention; and stop automatically promoting students who have not met basic literacy standards. - Teachers and school discipline: Seek higher teacher pay and give teachers more consistent discipline policies and authority to maintain classroom order. - School choice: Protect options for parents to choose traditional public schools, charter schools, private schools or homeschooling. - College costs: Freeze tuition, room and board at Georgia’s public colleges and technical schools. - Career education: Expand technical training, apprenticeships and work-based learning and more closely align technical-college programs with local employers. - Foster care: Expand educational and life-skills help for foster children; improve training, payments and placement support for foster parents; and enlist churches and community organizations to provide longer-term support. - Ethics and corruption: Require