SR201: SR201 Governor Brian Kemp; include full-time care givers for the elderly, sick, and disabled in the Georgia Pathways expansion; urge

Georgia Pathways to Coverage is the state's Medicaid expansion program that requires enrollees to show they are working, in school, or doing another qualifying activity for a set number of hours to get coverage. This resolution does not change that program itself. Instead, it is a formal request from the Senate asking Governor Brian Kemp to expand the list of qualifying activities to include full-time unpaid care of an elderly, sick, or disabled family member. The resolution lays out reasons for the request: it says over a million Georgians provide unpaid family care worth an estimated $16 billion, that many of these caregivers lack affordable health coverage themselves, and that covering them could reduce costlier Medicaid use, such as hospital or nursing home stays, for the people they care for. The resolution directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies to the public and press, but it does not itself amend any Georgia statute or program rule.

• Formally urges Governor Brian Kemp to add full-time family caregiving for elderly, sick, or disabled relatives as a qualifying activity under the Georgia Pathways to Coverage Medicaid program.
• States the Senate's rationale, including estimates that unpaid family caregiving in Georgia is worth over $16 billion and that caregivers often lack their own health coverage.
• Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the public and the press.
• Does not itself change any Georgia statute, appropriate funding, or alter eligibility rules for Georgia Pathways to Coverage.

Family caregivers of elderly, sick, or disabled Georgians, particularly low-income caregivers who currently lack qualifying activities under Georgia Pathways to Coverage, as well as Governor Brian Kemp and the state agencies that administer the Pathways program.

If the Governor were to act on this request, low-income family caregivers could gain a path to Medicaid coverage without separately working or attending school, potentially improving their access to health care while they continue caregiving. As a resolution, it carries no legal force to require that change on its own.

• The whereas clauses state that over 1 million Georgians provide unpaid family care valued at more than $16 billion statewide.
• The whereas clauses argue that family caregiving can delay or prevent more costly Medicaid services like hospital or nursing home stays.
• The resolved clause formally urges Governor Brian Kemp to add full-time caregiving for the elderly, sick, and disabled as a qualifying activity in the Georgia Pathways expansion.
• The final clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make copies available to the public and press.

1. 2025-02-19Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-02-18Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Sally Harrell (D, SD-040)Primary sponsor
• Drew Echols (R, SD-049)

• Medicaid expansion
• Georgia Pathways to Coverage
• family caregivers
• health care access