GUEST EDITORIAL: Congress: Don’t Give Georgians A Lump of Lost Healthcare Coal

By State Representatives Viola Davis (D-Stone Mountain), Kim Schofield (D-Atlanta) and Sandra Scott (D-Rex)

(554 words)

As families across Georgia prepare for the holidays, far too many are carrying a burden that has nothing to do with gifts or celebrations: fear. Fear of rising grocery costs, higher housing payments, shrinking wages and now, fear of losing access to healthcare they depend on to survive.

At the exact moment when families need stability the most, the federal government is once again putting our health care at risk. Instead of protecting affordability and access, the federal government is moving in the opposite direction by cutting coverage and raising premiums for the people who can least absorb the blow.

Here in Georgia, this threat is especially dangerous. We already live in one of the most vulnerable healthcare landscapes in the nation. Rural hospitals continue to shut their doors. Community clinics are fighting to stay open. Seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and working families are stretched thin. In many areas, residents must drive for hours just to see a doctor. For them, losing affordable health insurance is not an inconvenience; it is a life-or-death problem.

More than 90 percent of Georgians enrolled through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare, rely on tax credits to make healthcare affordable. If Congress allows these credits to expire, premiums will skyrocket overnight. Families who thought they finally had stability will be forced to make the impossible choice between paying for medication or paying rent, between seeing a doctor or keeping the lights on.

This impact reaches far beyond individual households. Farmers who operate as small business owners depend on ACA coverage while navigating supply challenges and market instability. Construction workers, caregivers, childcare professionals, independent contractors and entrepreneurs all rely on affordable health insurance to continue working and contributing to our economy. Students pursuing higher education use ACA plans while preparing for Georgia's future workforce. When their ability to stay covered disappears, our entire economy suffers.

Even those with employer-sponsored health coverage are not immune - business owners across Georgia are facing large insurance premium increases. Employers pass these costs directly onto workers through higher contributions, reduced benefits or layoffs. When healthcare becomes too expensive for businesses to sustain, jobs are lost, and communities lose both income and medical coverage at the same time.

Why are these cuts happening? They are happening to offset massive tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and major corporations, including industry players in healthcare itself. In plain terms: working families are paying the price so billionaires don't have to.

Healthcare should not be a privilege reserved for those with political influence or wealth. It is a necessity - the foundation of a healthy workforce, strong families and stable communities.

Right now, as open enrollment continues, Georgians are deciding whether they can afford to renew coverage or go uninsured, yet Congress has offered no solutions, no safeguards and no meaningful action.

This holiday season, Georgia deserves more than empty promises. We deserve leadership.

Congress must act now to extend ACA tax credits, restore Medicaid and Medicare funding, protect rural hospitals and ensure healthcare remains accessible and affordable for every Georgia family.

No family should unwrap the holidays with fear instead of peace of mind. And no state should be handed another lump of healthcare coal.

Access to healthcare is not a gift; it is a right. Georgia will continue to fight to protect it.

Representative Viola Davis represents the citizens of District 87, which includes a portion of DeKalb County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and currently serves on the Defense & Veterans Affairs, Health, Insurance, Natural Resources & Environment and Urban Affairs committees.

Representative Kim Schofield represents the citizens of District 63, which includes a portion of Fulton County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2017 and currently serves as Secretary of the Urban Affairs Committee. She also serves on the Creative Arts & Entertainment, Health, Industry and Labor and Small Business Development committees.

Representative Sandra Scott represents the citizens of District 76, which includes a portion of Clayton County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 and currently serves on the Banks & Banking, Defense & Veterans Affairs, Human Relations & Aging, Insurance and Reapportionment and Redistricting committees.

###

The views expressed above and information shared are those of the author.