Georgia has a kidney problem.
As a state representative and Co-Chair for the Georgia Council on Lupus Education and Awareness, I have spent years working alongside patients and families navigating complex, exhausting, and often heartbreaking healthcare challenges. Lupus is one of the leading causes of kidney failure, so I know personally how closely these issues intersect — and how devastating the consequences can be when our system fails the people who depend on it most.
Right now, thousands of Georgians live with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or kidney failure. Most rely on dialysis — an exhausting treatment that filters the blood. On top of that, many face a second, just as devastating battle: the fight to afford healthcare coverage.
Most dialysis patients depend on Medicare. Yet Medicare only covers 80 percent of the cost. Many try to fill the gap with employer-provided insurance or Medicaid, but thousands of dialysis patients in Georgia don’t qualify for Medicaid and often cannot work. They face thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs that pile up month after month.
That’s where Medigap should help. Medigap insurance plans fill the holes left by Medicare. But in Georgia, no affordable Medigap plans exist for dialysis patients under age 65. Since Georgia does not guarantee this coverage, younger Georgians are left with nowhere to turn. Many are forced to spend down their life savings to qualify for Medicaid or sink into crushing medical debt. No one should have to lose everything just to survive. Georgia must guarantee affordable Medigap plans for eligible dialysis patients under 65. It is the right thing to do.
That is why I proudly voted for House Bill 323.
HB 323, which passed the Georgia House nearly unanimously with strong bipartisan support, takes a meaningful step toward fixing this broken system. The bill expands access to life-saving kidney transplants for approximately 3,800 eligible Georgians while also preventing patients from having to sacrifice their hard-earned assets just to qualify for Medicaid. It is also fiscally responsible, with an estimated $6.3 million in Medicaid savings over five years.
The House did its job. Now the Senate must do its part and pass HB 323.
Georgia’s outdated Medigap policies hurt working people who develop kidney disease early in life. They hurt parents raising children while tethered to a dialysis chair three times a week. And most of all, they hurt the people waiting — sometimes for years — on the transplant list, struggling to stay afloat physically and financially. In America, kidney patients receive transplants only if they have sufficient insurance coverage. By denying affordable Medigap options, Georgia effectively pushes thousands of patients down that list. That is unacceptable.
Georgia is falling behind the rest of the country. More than 30 states already require insurance companies to offer Medigap plans to younger dialysis patients. They recognized long ago that no one should be denied affordable coverage simply because they became seriously ill before turning 65. Kidney failure does not wait for a birthday. It often strikes people in the prime of their lives.
Some argue that patients should simply shoulder these costs themselves. But dialysis is not a typical insurance expense. It is not optional. These Georgians require dialysis three times a week or a kidney transplant to stay alive. They cannot shop around for a better price. They cannot negotiate the cost of survival. Medicare was never designed to leave patients drowning in debt while they are literally hooked to a life-sustaining machine. That is exactly why Medigap exists.
Guaranteeing Medigap access for dialysis patients under 65 is not radical. It is not expensive. In fact, it can help keep patients off the state’s Medicaid rolls and reduce long-term spending. Most importantly, it sends a simple message to families across Georgia: if you are fighting for your life, your state will fight for you.
For years, kidney patients and their loved ones have come to the Capitol to share their stories and advocate for affordable Medigap coverage. Year after year, they have waited. Now they are waiting on the Georgia Senate.
Lawmakers have an opportunity to finally get this right. No more excuses. No more delays. Let’s bring Georgia in line with the majority of the nation. Let’s pass HB 323 and guarantee affordable Medigap plans for eligible dialysis patients under age 65.