Open enrollment begins for Georgians looking for health insurance

Georgians who are seeking health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace exchange can now begin their search as open enrollment has officially started today, and it will continue until January 15.

This year holds particular significance for consumers in Georgia and across the nation. Hundreds of thousands of individuals in the state are losing their Medicaid coverage, coinciding with the expiration of pandemic-related protections.

State officials are hopeful that some of those affected will have found new employment and higher incomes, allowing them to transition to insurance plans offered on the ACA marketplace. It’s worth noting that only those with incomes at or above the federal poverty level qualify for subsidized ACA premiums. For those who meet these income requirements, subsidized premiums have become more affordable in recent years.

Under a Biden administration initiative, no household should have to spend more than 8.5% of its income on premiums.

This measure was part of pandemic relief legislation set to expire in 2025. Additionally, the Kemp administration has implemented a subsidy program to further reduce premiums, attracting more insurance customers and insurance companies to the Georgia marketplace.

Started a decade ago, the Georgia marketplace now features a healthy selection of insurance companies offering various plans.

While the Kemp administration had previously sought to establish a new state-run website and block access to the federal site, healthcare.gov, this effort is currently on hold.

As a result, healthcare.gov remains the primary platform for shopping for health insurance in Georgia.