Could Georgians one day use Medicaid to pay for assisted living?

There is a new push to change Georgia’s laws so that Medicaid dollars could also be used to pay for assisted living facilities.

The Coalition of Advocates for Georgia’s Elderly (CO-AGE) has finalized their 2018 advocacy priorities, and this topic was selected as one of their 3 legislative issues for 2018. We all know that there is a lack of affordable housing for persons needing assisted living and Georgia already allows Medicaid to pay for personal care homes via the Medicaid Waiver Programs (Community Care Services Program and SOURCE). Unfortunately, these programs have long waiting lists and limited providers.

CO-AGE and the Georgia Council on Aging will be advocating for changes that could enable Medicaid to pay for assisted living in a broader way beyond the Waiver Programs, increasing the number of facilities and shortening or eliminating the waiting lists. Will Georgia one day add assisted living facilities to the list of services that Medicaid will pay for? Georgia, like all states, will have to get creative in order to meet the growing needs of seniors, especially as the number of seniors turning to our safety-net programs for safe housing and care are constantly rising. We’ll be keeping on eye on this issue.

To stay informed about legislative issues that impact senior, connect with CO-AGE.  For more information, please visit CO-AGE.