My mother worked hard but couldn’t afford healthcare. Georgia must do better.

My mother, Linda, was the most influential person in my life.

She recently passed away after living with Alzheimer’s disease for more than a decade. Watching her decline was one of the hardest things my family has ever gone through. But long before the disease, she taught me lessons that still guide how I live and how I lead.

My mom worked hard her entire life. She was a baker, a florist and a customer service manager. She loved people and believed in treating others the way you want to be treated. No matter how tired she was, she showed up for her family and her community.

When my parents divorced, I watched her take on three jobs as a single mother to support my sister and me. She did everything right. She worked hard, stayed honest and gave back, yet still struggled to get ahead.

And today, too many Georgians are living that same reality: working harder than ever and still barely getting by.

Medicaid expansion would have helped

Jason Esteves is a former Georgia state senator and Atlanta Public Schools board chair running in the 2026 Democratic primary for governor. (Courtesy)

Even as a teenager, I knew something about that wasn’t right. Years later, I saw another side of that struggle.

Shortly before her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, my mom was working as a baker at a grocery store and couldn’t afford health insurance. She was not old enough to qualify for Medicare and made too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford private coverage. She was stuck in the “Medicaid gap” because Republican politicians like Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (now a Democrat) refused to expand Medicaid.

When she began showing signs of Alzheimer’s, I had to pay out-of-pocket to get a diagnosis.

Think about that.

In a state like Georgia, a woman who worked her entire life couldn’t afford the care she needed to diagnose a life-altering disease.

Even as a teenager, I knew something about that wasn’t right. Years later, I saw another side of that struggle.

Shortly before her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, my mom was working as a baker at a grocery store and couldn’t afford health insurance. She was not old enough to qualify for Medicare and made too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford private coverage. She was stuck in the “Medicaid gap” because Republican politicians like Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (now a Democrat) refused to expand Medicaid.

When she began showing signs of Alzheimer’s, I had to pay out-of-pocket to get a diagnosis.

Think about that.

In a state like Georgia, a woman who worked her entire life couldn’t afford the care she needed to diagnose a life-altering disease.

That should never happen.

As my mom’s condition worsened, my wife and I became part of the “sandwich generation,” which means we were raising children while caring for an aging parent. Eventually, we moved her into an assisted living facility and helped cover the cost of her care. And I couldn’t help but ask: What happens to families who don’t have the resources we had?

Too many are forced into impossible choices — between caring for loved ones and staying financially afloat.

And here’s what makes even less sense.

My mom didn’t qualify for meaningful state support until she had spent nearly everything she had and until she needed the most expensive level of care in a nursing home. At that point, the state stepped in, covering costs that exceeded $100,000 a year.

Build an economy that leads to stability

Why does our system wait until people go broke before it helps them?

If the state had invested earlier in home-based care, in support for caregivers, in helping seniors stay in their homes longer, we could improve quality of life and save taxpayers money at the same time.

That’s not partisan — it’s just common sense.

My experience with my mom is deeply personal. But it’s not unique.

Across Georgia, families are struggling with rising healthcare costs, limited access to services and an economy that too often leaves working people behind.

We can do better.

We should expand Medicaid so no one falls into the coverage gap. We should invest in community-based care so seniors can age with dignity. We should support caregivers. And we should build an economy where hard work actually leads to stability.

Those experiences guide my work — and they’re why I’m running for governor.

My mom taught me to treat people with dignity, fight for others and leave my community better than I found it.

No Georgian who works hard should have to go through what she did.