37% of Georgia Voters Say They’ve Put Off Medical Care Because of Cost, Poll Finds

A statewide poll of more than 1,000 likely Georgia voters found that 37% had skipped or delayed medical care in the past year because of cost, including people with insurance. The survey, commissioned by the Georgia Health Initiative and conducted by the University of Georgia, comes as Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican nominee Rick Jackson compete for governor in the Nov. 3 election, with healthcare cost a central concern for voters.

Most Voters Say a Candidate’s Healthcare Stance Will Sway Their Vote

The poll, administered by the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs Survey Research Center, found 62% of voters said healthcare costs too much in Georgia. More than three-quarters said a candidate’s stance on healthcare influences their vote. Roughly eight in 10 voters said the quality of care a person receives can depend on their insurance coverage or where in Georgia they live, according to the survey findings.

Worry Over Premiums Splits Along Party Lines, but Not Evenly

Capitol Beat News Service found the concern crossed party lines unevenly. Fifty-four percent of Democrats and 38% of Republicans said they were very or somewhat worried about affording monthly premiums over the next year. Healthcare ranked third among Democrats’ top issues, with 13% calling it most important, versus eighth for Republicans at 3%. Democrats were twice as likely as Republicans, 86% to 43%, to call healthcare access for all very important for the next governor.

Nearly Half of Democrats, a Quarter of Republicans Skipped Care Over Cost

Nearly half of Democrats and a quarter of Republicans skipped or delayed care over cost in the past year. More than 90% of both Democratic and Republican respondents had health insurance. Democrats leaned more on private coverage through an employer or policy, while nearly a third of Republicans were on Medicare versus a fifth of Democrats. About 2.5% of Republicans and under 8% of Democrats used Medicaid as primary coverage.

Rural Gaps and Provider Shortages Top the List of Barriers

Voters pointed to specific barriers when trying to obtain care, according to a presentation accompanying the poll’s findings. High costs, shortages of specialty and behavioral health providers, and gaps in rural health services topped the list. More than one in five said they ran into trouble getting care they needed over the past year.

Behavioral Health and Maternal Care Top Voters’ Wish List for the Next Governor

The survey identified clear priorities voters want the next governor to pursue. Eighty-six percent named increasing access to behavioral healthcare a priority, while 81% said the same about maternal health services and about ensuring everyone has access to health insurance. Cindy Zeldin, vice president of health policy and government affairs for Georgia Health Initiative, said Georgia voters across the political spectrum agree that the next governor should prioritize healthcare.

Bottoms Wants to End Pathways for Full Medicaid Expansion

Bottoms has said she would end Georgia Pathways to Coverage, the state’s current Medicaid program, and pursue full Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, with the federal government covering 90% of the cost and the state absorbing the rest, a cost Capitol Beat reported would hit the state budget. At a Georgia Chamber of Commerce event in Athens, she blamed Republican refusal to expand Medicaid for nine rural hospital closures. “It’s not a Republican, independent, Democratic issue,” she said. “This is an issue that’s impacting the strength of our state.” She also cited small business owners describing rising premiums after Congress let enhanced ACA tax credits expire.

Jackson Pitches an “Intelligent Medicaid Expansion” Built Around Jobs

Jackson has rejected traditional Medicaid expansion. The billionaire healthcare executive defeated Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in a June runoff to win the Republican nomination. He calls his approach an “intelligent Medicaid expansion,” citing work requirements, funding changes, and training programs to move Medicaid recipients into commercial insurance jobs. “I’m not going to measure our state by how many people are on Medicaid,” he said. “I’m going to measure how many people are on commercial insurance.” That strategy could face headwinds: firms with 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees may see a median 14% premium increase in 2027, KFF found.

A Dec. 31 Deadline Hands Georgia’s Next Governor an Immediate Decision

Georgia has not adopted full Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Instead, Pathways to Coverage provides Medicaid to adults ages 19 to 64 earning up to 100% of the federal poverty level, an income limit of $15,960 for one person in 2026, and requires at least 80 hours of qualifying activities each month. The federal government extended Pathways through Dec. 31, 2026, leaving the decision to Georgia’s next governor almost immediately after taking office.

One Thing Both Parties Agree On: Show Us the Price Beforehand

Despite their Medicaid divide, Democrats and Republicans agreed on one thing: healthcare price transparency, with at least 80% in both parties calling it very or somewhat important for the next governor to make pricing more visible. Zeldin said focus groups pointed to one recurring frustration: not knowing the price of a service before it’s billed. M.V. Hood III, the UGA political science professor who led the survey, said consensus may reflect that transparency carries no direct cost, unlike coverage expansion.