More than half of Georgians in a new AJC poll say that all or at least parts of Obamacare should be repealed, but an even larger proportion believe the state should expand Medicaid.
The poll, conducted for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution by Abt SRBI Inc., measured the views of registered voters across the state last week.
While 53 percent favor repeal of the law, or at least parts of it, 57 percent of Georgians said the state should expand Medicaid under the terms of the Affordable Care Act — something Gov. Nathan Deal has so far decided not to do.
The health care program for the poor would take in an additional 650,000 people if the state expanded it.
Locust Grove resident Jeffrey Sims, 51, said Deal’s decision not to expand Medicaid makes little sense to him, particularly since the federal government is bearing most of the cost.
“I wouldn’t care who the president was if my state can get that money,” he said. “They’re putting people’s lives in jeopardy just playing politics, and I don’t think that’s right.”
Deal has said the state cannot afford to expand Medicaid, even though the federal government would pay 100 percent of the cost for three years and then gradually scale back its support to a permanent level of 90 percent.
Subscribers may read more and review the full results of the poll — including questions on legislative priorities for the coming session and voters' views on candidates in the 2014 elections — at MyAJC.com.
