ATLANTA, GA — Thousands of immigrants living legally in metro Atlanta and across Georgia are expected to lose Medicaid coverage beginning Thursday as new federal changes tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act take effect.
The law, signed by President Trump on July 4, 2025, reduces the matching funds states receive for Medicaid and CHIP, the children’s health insurance program known in Georgia as PeachCare for Kids. Health leaders say the changes could affect refugees, asylees and some victims of sex trafficking, even as they remain lawfully present in the United States.
Advocates say the impact will be felt well beyond the people who lose coverage, reaching clinics, hospitals and households already under financial strain.
Georgia health officials project long-term coverage losses
Georgia health advocates have been tracking the effects of the law for months, and the numbers they cite are significant. Officials with the Georgia Health Initiative estimate about 32,000 people in the state will lose Medicaid coverage by 2034 because of the policy changes.
The Atlanta Regional Commission has projected that more than 14,000 people will become uninsured. Those estimates point to a broad shift in who will be able to keep public health coverage under the new rules.
While the changes do not affect everyone who is not a citizen, they do target eligibility for certain groups that previously qualified for assistance. Immigrants with green cards are not expected to lose Medicaid benefits under the law.
Mercy Care says patients may delay care if they lose insurance
Kathryn Lawler, chief executive officer of Mercy Care in Atlanta, said the upcoming changes are deeply concerning because people without insurance often put off routine care until problems become urgent. Mercy Care provides medical services to people who are uninsured and not connected to the traditional health system.
Lawler said losing coverage can make people less likely to seek treatment early, which can leave them sicker and create higher costs later for the health system overall. She said the timing of the changes is especially difficult because many people may not realize their coverage has changed until they try to use it.
“It is the worst to find out right when you are arriving for your appointment or that you have had an emergency that your coverage is not what you thought it was,” she said.
Lawler urges patients to check coverage before an emergency
Lawler is encouraging people who receive Medicaid to verify their status now rather than wait for a medical emergency. She said Medicaid rules can change frequently, and patients need to keep track of whether their benefits still apply.
Her warning is aimed at people who may assume nothing has changed because they have been covered before. She said the safest step is to confirm coverage early so families are not surprised at a doctor’s office, pharmacy or emergency room.
That advice is especially important for people in vulnerable situations, including those who may already be coping with housing instability, limited income or other barriers to care.
Mercy Care serves uninsured families, newcomers and people without stable care
Mercy Care says its patient base includes people who are underinsured, uninsured and experiencing homelessness. Lawler said that also includes many people entering the country for the first time, along with others who have not been connected to the traditional health care system.
The organization offers primary care, dental care, vision services, psychiatry, behavioral health, pediatrics and pharmaceutical services. Leaders there say those offerings are meant to give patients a full range of support in one place.
For people losing Medicaid, the clinic is positioning itself as a place where care may still be available even if insurance is not. That role could become more important if the projected coverage losses play out over the coming years.
A century-old Atlanta health mission continues to serve vulnerable residents
Lawler said Mercy Care is proud to carry on a health mission that dates back more than a century through the Sisters of Mercy. She noted that the sisters started Atlanta’s first hospital in 1880, a facility that later became Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital.
The clinic and headquarters now operate on Decatur Street in Atlanta, continuing a long local tradition of serving people who might otherwise go without treatment. Lawler said the work reflects a larger belief that community health depends on access, stability and compassion.
She said Atlanta has long seen itself as a place where newcomers can build a life, and she hopes the city continues to back policies that reflect that identity. In her view, the stress that comes with losing coverage is itself part of the health burden, making access to care even more important.