Georgia Governor Candidates Clash Over Medicaid Expansion in Debate
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson met Tuesday in what is likely their only debate before Georgia's gubernatorial election, sparring over Medicaid expansion, healthcare costs, data centers and election security. Bottoms renewed her call for full Medicaid expansion and accused Jackson, a healthcare executive, of profiting from the current system through a staffing company she says contributes to hospital closures. Jackson, who previously opposed expansion, said last month he now supports an "intelligent" expansion approach that avoids losing an estimated $4.5 billion in existing state funding, though he did not explain the funding claim and his campaign did not clarify it when asked. He emphasized cost-reduction measures like curbing insurer denial practices and negotiating drug prices as alternatives to expansion alone.