ATLANTA – For more than a decade, Georgians have been able to purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the federal government website healthcare.gov.
That is about to change. Starting November 1, Georgia will become the 20th state to trade state-specific models on the federal exchange, with a new state-based exchange, Georgia Access, replacing Healthcare.gov.
“The ACA envisioned each state running its own exchange,” said Whitney Griggs, director of health policy at the nonprofit Georgians for a Healthy Future. “States know best how to reach their residents. … (Georgia) has a real opportunity to create something better than healthcare.gov.”
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved a waiver in August to allow states to launch Georgia Access. A state-based exchange would give the Georgia Department of Insurance more flexibility to pursue innovative solutions, Department Commissioner John King said at the time.
“We are restoring control of health care to the people of Georgia,” Dr. King said.
But Griggs said there are several aspects of ditching healthcare.gov in favor of a state-based model that raise concerns. He said Georgia’s decision to enroll Georgia Access enrollees through web brokers, insurance companies, and the program’s own website allows “bad actors” to enroll people in insurance plans that are not ACA compliant. He said that there is a possibility of doing so.
“Other states are actually promoting registration through their respective state websites,” Griggs said. “Georgia would be the only state that relies so heavily on this model.”
But Cheryl Gardner, executive director of Georgia Access, said the direct enrollment approach is one of the program’s strengths. He said more than 15,000 licensed and certified agents are available to guide subscribers to the best coverage options.
“Agents provide consumers with localized support and a personalized customer experience,” Gardner said. “These are essential to our mission to provide consumers with multiple pathways to obtain health insurance and reduce the number of uninsured residents in Georgia.”
Griggs said Georgia Access is also wary of the technical elements that will help the roughly 400,000 uninsured Georgians qualify for coverage. She and other health care advocates who have worked in the field for years have long memories of the glitches that occurred when healthcare.gov first went live in 2013.
“I still have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) from trying to take advantage of the (federal) exchange,” Griggs said.
To address concerns that may arise with new state-based exchanges, Georgia Access will offer a preview of the program’s 2025 health insurance plans on GeorgiaAccess.gov starting October 28.
“We want the registration process to be as convenient and accessible as possible for Georgia consumers,” King said. “Plan Preview gives consumers the opportunity to browse and decide on the plan that best fits their wallet and needs before starting open enrollment.”
Griggs said he is optimistic that Georgia Access will not experience the same growing pains that healthcare.gov experienced early on.
“This technology is now very common,” she said. “People are used to using these websites.”
Georgia Access coverage begins January 1st for users who select a plan by December 16th. For more information, visit GeorgiaAccess.gov or call the Georgia Access Contact Center at 888-687-1503.
This article is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat, an initiative of the Georgia Foundation for Publishing and Education.
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Article Type: News Based on facts either directly observed and verified by the reporter or reported and verified by knowledgeable sources.
