House committee advances bill to let under-65 ALS and kidney-failure patients buy Medigap at 65 rates

A House committee voted to give House Bill 323 a do-pass recommendation after hearing testimony from transplant recipients, patient advocates and insurers about access to Medicare supplemental insurance for people under 65 with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Proponents said the bill would allow Georgians who qualify for Medicare because of ESRD or ALS to buy Medigap (Medicare supplement) plans at the same premiums now charged to people aged 65 and older, instead of the much higher rates younger buyers face. Supporters said that would keep people off Medicaid by preventing the “spend down” that many patients currently undergo to afford care.

The bill’s sponsor described the measure as a change “to allow people 65 to have a Medigap plan so that they can afford a kidney transplant,” and introduced several people with lived experience. Kidney transplant recipient Christie Flynn testified that she remains on Medicaid because she cannot afford…