Georgia moving health insurance enrollment to state-run marketplace in November

ATLANTA — Come November, the Georgia health insurance marketplace will transition from the HealthCare.Gov portal to a state-operated exchange called Georgia Access.

The Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire announced the move Wednesday.

According to officials, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services confirmed Georgia was approved to transition to the state-based exchange with the marketplace to launch Nov. 1 for 2025′s open enrollment period.

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“This milestone is the result of the extraordinary work our office has conducted over the past three years to move Georgia away from reliance on the federal government for health coverage,” King said in a statement. “The Georgia Access approach is an innovative one. It will be the first State-based Exchange to partner with private sector companies to get consumers enrolled. It represents our commitment to expand access to affordable, quality health coverage and reduce the number of uninsured Georgians.”

Georgia Access is a new part of the OCI, according to the announcement from Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King.

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Going forward, the OCI will handle the state’s health insurance coverage market for Georgians to shop for, and enroll in, coverage plans that they’re eligible for. The new state-run marketplace will match consumers with web brokers, agents and insurance companies.

“This is a great milestone in connecting Georgians with the coverage they need,” Gov. Brian Kemp said. “A state-based exchange will not only make the process for Georgians getting covered easier, but will also increase their coverage options and our ability to promote quality and affordable health plans. That’s why creating Georgia Access has been a top priority of my administration, and it’s why I was proud to bring forward and sign critical legislation last year to get this exchange established. I look forward to seeing this common sense initiative yield results for the people of our state.”

According to state officials, the Georgia Access program is the result of efforts that began in 2019, when Kemp signed the Patients First Act into law.

The legislation allowed Georgia to submit a 1332 waiver to CMS, in a bid to “pursue innovative solutions to address healthcare challenges” facing Georgians. The approval of the wavier was sent to Georgia on Nov. 1, 2020, which let the state implement its own healthcare plan marketplace in two steps:

• a five-year reinsurance program designed to lower premiums through increased carrier participation
• transitions the State’s individual market from the Federally-facilitated Exchange (FFE) to an SBE, known as Georgia Access

OCI says the goal of Georgia Access is to increase the number of Georgians with health insurance coverage, improve the shopping enrollment experience, increase competition for the insurance marketplace and promote innovation and private sector investment in Georgia.

Beginning Nov. 1, Georgians will be able to start shopping for new health plans, with coverage to take effect Jan. 1, 2025 if a plan is chosen by Dec. 16.

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