Georgia passes a bill to ensure Medicaid covers sickle cell treatment, informed by real stories

Caption

A group of advocates, caregivers and people with sickle cell anemia walk into the Georgia Capitol to share their stories about sickle cell in March 2026.

Credit: Morgan Colbert/GPB News

A bill aimed at keeping Georgia Medicaid coverage in step with the most current treatments for sickle cell anemia passed the Georgia Legislature on the on the last day of the 2026 legislative session. 

Weeks before the passage of House Bill 334, the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia gathered at the Georgia state Capitol to advocate for the bill.  

The foundation encouraged attendees to share part of their sickle cell stories with legislators. Foundation CEO Dr. Tabatha McGee said it is important for lawmakers to hear personal accounts from people living with the disease because their stories are real. 

"We know that their stories are more frank, their stories are real and their stories are tangible," McGee said, "because it's their life that they live day to day."

After staff identified attendees’ legislators, they escorted them to lawmakers’ offices. 

A crowd of advocates gathered in the front office of a representative’s room. After introductions, Nakisha Walls, a mother of a 17-year-old son with sickle cell, spoke up. Tearfully, she recounted one of her son’s many hospital visits. 

"If I hadn't been there with my son, I could have lost him several times because they don't really check on him," Walls said, "because his stats [were] dropping, no nurse came in for four hours. I called his nurse. I said, 'I'm about to go to jail because they're about to kill my son.' I said 'If I got to put him in my truck and bring him to children's, I will.'"

Walls’ story of inaction is one of thousands. Many people with sickle cell said their pain is not properly treated or acknowledged by medical staff. 

According to a study by the American Society of Hematology, only 1in 3sickle cell patients experiencing related pain received appropriate medication within the first hour after seeking care. 

Sarita Sehneah, a mother of a child with sickle cell, said that is why she fights for her son’s care whenever he needs treatment. 

"It's hard enough watching them go through this and then to have to struggle with trying to get them to be heard," Sehneah said. 

Knowing people with sickle cell are often not listened to by medical staff, she worries about when her son grows up and she can no longer advocate for him as she does now. 

"Going from — this is the scary part for me — transitioning from a child, where they can't stop me from advocating for him, to an adult." she said. 

HB 334 is designed to address gaps in care caused by inaction and inattentiveness by medical professionals. One of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Omari Crawford, said it would be a first step in addressing sickle cell related inequities in care in Georgia. 

"House Bill 334... would allow input from warriors, experts, medical staff and service people to discuss what better treatments may be possible as medications and treatments evolve. We want to be able to better collect data, and if we can better collect data, then we can better address this awful disease," Crawford said. 

HB 334 is now headed to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk for his signature or veto.