Georgia
Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage Program – The First Year in Review Fact Sheet – Georgia Budget and Policy Institute
In July 2023, Georgia launched the Pathways to Coverage program, which offers health care coverage to adults with lower incomes who do not have access to affordable health insurance. To be eligible they must work, attend school, volunteer or complete another qualifying activity for at least 80 hours per month. The program covers the cost of many of the same medical services as traditional Medicaid, including doctor visits, hospital stays and prescriptions. This fact sheet provides policymakers and advocates with an overview of the program’s first year and offers recommendations for improving upon the existing program design.
Here are some key takeaways based on the program’s first year:
Enrollment in the Pathways to Coverage program fell far short of expectations and need. More than 40% of Georgia’s counties still had fewer than 10 enrollees despite the state having one of the highest percentages of uninsured populations in the nation. If the state continues to enroll about 4,231 enrollees per year as it did in the first year and assuming no one is disenrolled, it will take more than 12 years to achieve the original five-year enrollment goal (52,509).
A cumbersome enrollment process and restrictive eligibility criteria appeared to contribute to the program’s low enrollment in the first year. Potentially eligible Georgians face a steep “paperwork” burden – from completing a lengthy online or paper application to compiling documents to verify qualifying activities and hours. Only about half of individuals who showed initial interest in applying to the program submitted a complete application. Preliminary data also indicate that at least one in every five denials for those who do submit a complete application is due to failure to meet the qualifying hours and activities requirement.
Pathways to Coverage is a costly program for Georgia taxpayers, and most spending through the end of the first year covered administrative expenses rather than health care benefits. Since the program was approved through the end of the first year of implementation, a total of almost $58 million in combined state and federal funds was spent on the program. That amounts to an average of $13,000 per enrollee. Spending on upgrades to Georgia’s online eligibility and enrollment system represents the largest proportion of total program costs and was almost five times higher than spending on healthcare benefits for enrollees.
For current enrollment and program cost data, please visit the Data Tracker page at GeorgiaPathways.org
Beyond Year One: Recommendations and Next Steps
With Pathways to Coverage up for renewal in September 2025, the state has an opportunity to leverage lessons learned from the first year to make the program more effective and less costly and to streamline the bureaucratic red tape that burdens both enrollees and state agency staff.
Programmatic recommendations:
- Eliminate monthly reporting and premium collection
- Expand automated verification of qualifying hours and activities at initial application and yearly renewal using electronic data sources
- Expand work requirement exemptions (in alignment with SNAP exemptions) to enable eligible veterans, full-time parents of young children, former foster youth and others to access the program
- Make Pathways to Coverage an ‘opt-out’ versus an ‘opt-in’ program
- Improve education and outreach for potentially eligible Georgians
- Improve communication with applicants and enrollees
System-level recommendations:
- Modernize Georgia’s public benefits eligibility and enrollment infrastructure
- Increase transparency and public data reporting and open up opportunities for stakeholder engagement
For more context on each recommendation and for an additional list of transformational recommendations like full Medicaid expansion, please download the full report “Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage Program – The First Year in Review” from the Resources page at GeorgiaPathways.org.
Georgia
Georgia man charged with trafficking 17-year-old girl for sex in McDuffie County, AG says
A McDuffie County man is facing multiple felony charges after Georgia authorities say he trafficked and sexually exploited a 17-year-old girl.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced Monday that Jimmy Mance, 40, of Thomson, has been charged with trafficking a minor for sexual servitude and sexual exploitation of a child.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the case stems from allegations that the teenager was sold for sex, with the victim later recovered in December 2025.
“This is yet another step in our ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking in every corner of this state,” Carr said in a statement. “If you buy or sell a child for sex, we will find you, arrest you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
Charges filed
Authorities say Mance is facing several charges, including:
- Trafficking of persons for sexual servitude (harboring a minor)
- Trafficking of persons for sexual servitude (providing a minor)
- Two counts of sexual exploitation of a child involving explicit material
Warrants were taken out on April 13 by the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Multiple agencies assisted in the investigation and arrest, including the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office, Thomson Police Department, and sheriff’s offices in Columbia and Bibb counties.
Statewide crackdown on trafficking
The case highlights Georgia’s ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking, particularly involving minors.
The Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit — created in 2019 — has secured more than 70 convictions and helped rescue or assist over 200 children, according to state officials.
Carr expanded the unit last year to include additional prosecutors and investigators serving Augusta and surrounding counties, part of a broader push to target trafficking networks statewide.
Officials say the unit works alongside local and state law enforcement to investigate and prosecute cases involving sexual exploitation and forced labor.
What happens next
Authorities emphasize that the charges are allegations, and Mance is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The case remains under investigation.
Georgia
NY Giants draft news: Exciting Georgia State wide receiver taking ‘30’ visit
Hurst’s development could go in two distinct directions. If he emphasizes precision, refines his routes, and adds a little muscle to his frame, Hurst could become an aspiring A.J. Green – a big-play primary receiver who can defeat press-man coverage and run the full route tree.
If Hurst bulks up further and his route tree is limited, he could become a big-play possession option like Tee Higgins who isn’t asked to run as full of a route tree and wins with his size at the boundary.
There’s reason for optimism that Hurst will become a weekly contributor in the league. It’s probably a stretch to believe Hurst will become a top-end primary receiver, but others with his athletic gifts have done it before.
Hurst has a medium-high floor with a high ceiling. That’s worth the investment.
Georgia
2026 Masters: How Georgia golfers fared at Augusta National
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 12: Russell Henley of the United States plays his shot from the 12th tee during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2026 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Get
AUGUSTA, Ga. – While Rory McIlroy took home the green jacket, local favorites and former University of Georgia standouts made a major impact at Augusta National this year.
2026 Masters: Rory McIlroy survives late drama to win second green jacket
What we know:
Russell Henley delivered the best performance among the former Georgia Bulldogs in the field.
The Macon native surged into contention during the final round, finishing in a tie for third place at 10-under par. He ended the tournament just two strokes behind McIlroy.
By the numbers:
Several other players with local ties finished under par for the tournament:
- Patrick Reed: The Augusta University alum finished in 12th place at 5-under par after a final-round 73.
- Harris English: The former Bulldog kept a steady pace to finish tied for 30th at 1-under par.
- Brian Harman: The 2023 Open winner finished tied for 33rd at even par.
- Sepp Straka: The UGA alum finished at 2-over par in a tie for 41st place.
Dig deeper:
Not every local star saw the weekend. Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson missed the cut after finishing 5-over par on Friday.
Joining him on the sidelines was 18-year-old Mason Howell, a future Georgia Bulldog who was the youngest player in the 2026 field. Howell finished at 9-over par.
Local perspective:
The strong showing by Henley and other University of Georgia alumni provided plenty of highlights for local fans.
With multiple players finishing in the top 40, the “Bulldog pro” presence remains a dominant storyline at Augusta National.
The Source: Information in this article comes from Augusta National tournament scoring records.
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