Editor’s note: There’s a lot going on in the news. State Affairs wants to help you understand and keep up with the various terms, policies and programs affecting your state government. This is the first in an occasional series that will take one issue or term and explain it to you, our readers, in 150 words or less.

What is Medicaid? 

In the simplest of terms: A joint federal-state program for low-income health insurance signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in July 1965. Georgia’s Medicaid was adopted two years later.

It is the nation’s largest source of health care coverage, enrolling over 74 million people. Eligibility varies by state but generally includes low-income children, pregnant women, people with disabilities and the elderly. Coverage includes doctor visits, hospital stays, prescription drugs and long-term care. People apply for coverage through the state.

Why it’s in the news: Many Americans were able to stay on Medicaid during the pandemic. In April of this year, however, states began purging people no longer eligible for the coverage. “Unwinding,” as it is called, is expected to last through late-summer 2024. Millions are expected to be removed from the rolls. So far, over 170,000 Georgians no longer get Medicaid since unwinding began.

Header image: Stay Informed. Stay Covered. The Georgia Department of Human Services’ campaign to raise awareness of the Medicaid unwinding process.