Final summer time, as political debate swirled over the way forward for Georgia’s experiment with Medicaid work necessities, Gov. Brian Kemp held a press convention to unveil a three-minute testimonial video that includes a mechanic who works on traditional vehicles.

Luke Seaborn, a 54-year-old from rural Jefferson, grew to become the de facto face of Georgia Pathways to Protection, Kemp’s insurance coverage program for impoverished Georgians. In a mushy Southern drawl, Seaborn defined how having insurance coverage had improved his life within the 12 months that he had been enrolled: “Pathways is a good program that gives medical insurance to low-income professionals like myself.”

Kemp lauds Pathways as an modern solution to lower the state’s excessive price of uninsured adults whereas reining in authorities spending, holding this system up for example to different Republican-led states wanting to institute Medicaid work necessities.

However within the 9 months since Seaborn’s video testimonial was launched, his opinion of Pathways has plummeted. His advantages have been canceled — twice, he mentioned, on account of bureaucratic purple tape.

“I used to think about Pathways as a blessing,” Seaborn lately informed The Present and ProPublica. “Now, I’m performed with it.”

Fairly than a permanent image of success, Seaborn’s expertise illustrates why this system struggles to realize traction even because the state spends tens of millions of {dollars} to burnish Pathways’ model. The Present and ProPublica beforehand reported that most of the roughly 250,000 low-income adults probably eligible for the medical insurance program wrestle to enroll or keep protection.

The politics of Pathways weren’t on Seaborn’s thoughts when he acquired a telephone name final summer time from an insurance coverage government who handles Pathways purchasers. One of many first Georgians to enroll in this system in 2023, Seaborn had written a letter thanking his insurance coverage supplier for masking a process for his again ache. The chief from Amerigroup Group Care wished to know: Would he participate in a promotional video for Pathways?

Seaborn, a supporter of the governor, mentioned sure with out hesitation. Quickly afterward, Kemp’s press secretary, Garrison Douglas, arrived at his auto restore store, positioned a couple of miles from the governor’s hometown, and spent hours filming within the storage crammed with classic Ford and Chevy vehicles and handpainted gasoline station indicators.

A skilled chemical engineer, Seaborn had give up his company job to embrace his dream of repairing traditional vehicles. However the realities of being a small enterprise proprietor made that path tough, Seaborn mentioned, particularly when it got here to shouldering the price of medical insurance for himself and his son. Pathways eased the way in which, he mentioned.

Seaborn mentioned he was stunned when the governor known as him out by identify weeks later on the press convention throughout which his testimonial video was launched. He wasn’t anticipating to be the singular face of Pathways.

By November, although, Seaborn encountered a few of the issues that different Georgians say have soured their opinion on Pathways. Seaborn mentioned he had logged his work hours into the net system as soon as a month as required. However his advantages had been canceled after he failed to finish a brand new kind that he mentioned the state had added with out satisfactory warning. Seaborn mentioned the shape requested for a similar data he had been submitting each month, simply in a special format. The state’s Medicaid company didn’t reply to questions on Seaborn’s expertise or the brand new kind.

He mentioned he known as the identical insurance coverage government who had requested him to participate within the testimonial. She informed him she can be lunching with considered one of Kemp’s aides that day and promised to assist, he recalled. Inside 24 hours, Seaborn mentioned, his advantages had been restored, and a consultant from Georgia’s Division of Household and Youngsters Companies, which administers federal advantages applications, known as to apologize.

Douglas mentioned the governor’s workplace “had no involvement in Mr. Seaborn’s case.” The insurance coverage firm didn’t reply to requests for remark.

Pathways enrollees should submit paperwork each month proving that they had accomplished the necessities mandatory for protection: 80 hours of labor, research or volunteering. However the state says it isn’t verifying the knowledge on a month-to-month foundation — solely throughout enrollment and upon annual renewal.

Seaborn mentioned that after his protection was restored, his insurance coverage firm informed him he would now not should file his work hours month-to-month; the following time he would want to submit such documentation can be throughout his annual reenrollment. Nonetheless, Seaborn mentioned he signed up for textual content and e-mail notifications from the Pathways program in order that he wouldn’t be caught off guard if necessities modified once more.

Even so, technical glitches and extra purple tape induced him to lose his protection as soon as extra, he mentioned. He stopped receiving texts from the Pathways program in February. When he logged in to the digital platform in early March to verify every part was so as, a discover knowledgeable him that his advantages can be terminated on April 1. The explanation: he had missed submitting an annual earnings assertion. He mentioned the shock requirement had popped up on the digital platform despite the fact that his protection was not up for renewal.

“My head exploded,” he mentioned. “I didn’t get a textual content or an e-mail. I did what I used to be purported to, however that wasn’t adequate.”

Seaborn mentioned he went forward and filed the knowledge, though it was late. He tried to name his insurance coverage supplier once more for an evidence — and assist. He reached out to the Division of Household and Youngsters Companies as properly. This time, nevertheless, he mentioned nobody known as him again.

In April, Seaborn paid out of pocket for his and his son’s prescription drugs, an additional $40 that he mentioned is tough for him to afford.

Ellen Brown, a spokesperson for Georgia’s Division of Household and Youngsters Companies, wouldn’t say why Seaborn’s advantages had been terminated.

“We’re sorry to listen to this occurred and are trying into how we will higher serve our prospects and resolve communication gaps sooner or later,” Brown mentioned in a written assertion Friday. “Each Georgian that seeks our providers is necessary, and we take these issues very significantly.”

In the meantime, Seaborn acquired a telephone name that day from the identical Division of Household and Youngsters Companies consultant who had apologized to him after he was kicked off Pathways final fall. He mentioned she informed him she would be certain he received his protection again. The consultant didn’t reply to a request for remark from The Present and ProPublica.

On Monday night, Seaborn acquired a textual content message to alert him to a notification within the Pathways digital platform. He logged on: A discover confirmed that he had been reenrolled, a change of fortune that he credited to The Present and ProPublica’s inquiries to state officers about his predicament as a result of he had already given up on contacting folks for assist.

“I’m so annoyed with this complete journey,” Seaborn mentioned. “I’m grateful for protection. However what I don’t perceive is them leaving me like a mushroom at nighttime and feeding me nothing, no data, for greater than a month.”