Georgia’s website will soon manage enrollment in Affordable Care Act health insurance
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has given the state final approval to move into its marketplace after years of negotiations and work, according to an announcement Wednesday..
Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King, whose office developed the Georgia Access system under Gov. Brian Kemp, was blunt in making the announcement.
“This important announcement is the result of the extraordinary work our office has done over the past three years to move Georgia away from reliance on the federal government for health care,” King said in a news release. “Georgia Access is a new approach. It will be the first State Exchange to partner with private companies to enable consumers to enroll. It represents our commitment to expand access to health care. affordable, high-quality and reduce the number of vulnerable Georgians.”
The state’s new marketplace will bring in millions of dollars in user fees collected at each policy enrollment. Fees have so far been posted on the state website, but Georgia will collect them now.
“This is the most important step in connecting Georgians with the coverage they need,” said Kemp, who began working in the state’s insurance industry shortly after becoming governor in 2019. In a written statement, he called the move “common sense” and. one of his priorities.
“A state-based exchange will not only make it easier for Georgians to get coverage, but it will also increase their coverage options and our ability to promote healthy and affordable health care plans. it’s low.”
The The ACA always gave states the option to set up their own exchanges to run the federally-subsidized program, and there are more than a dozen of them. from Kentucky to Massachusetts to Idaho. But leaders in independent states like Georgia have not supported Obamacare, and Georgia even blocked state spending to fund the ACA. But in recent years, Kemp made a case that he could take and get the ban lifted.
The state will have a tough act to follow when it comes to signing up for the ACA. The introduction of federal funds into the market led to a record enrollment in Georgia, as 1.3 million Georgians signed up for ACA plans this year.
Under President Joe Biden, enrollment has increased as his administration restored resources that were cut under former President Donald Trump, such as giving people more time to register and investing more in advertising, outreach and registration assistance. In addition, during the pandemic, Biden and Congress enacted enhanced subsidies that lowered the cost of premiums and discounts for many enrollees. Subscribers flocked to the exchange.
Kemp is also putting state money to market the ACA and Georgia Access last year. However, Georgia Access has not been able to register people, has information and links to businesses that do.
Questions for customers: What kind of help will they get when they need to speak to an assistant or “manager” who will help them buy the best insurance plan? And will the government’s website work with current consumer preferences, or more?
Not all 1.3 million Georgians are covered under the Affordable Care Act purchased from healthcare.gov. About 550,000 people have registered on the popular healthsherpa.com website, according to company officials.
The advantages of healthcare.gov and healthsherpa.com were to automatically calculate federal aid from grants and provide customers with their final payment, and then present the plans that one should receive as that consumers can compare coverage and prices. They also feature coverage plans that meet government standards, thereby protecting consumers from being sold bad plans that don’t cover what they need.
HealthSherpa and King’s office did not respond Wednesday to questions about whether HealthSherpa will continue to provide signups in Georgia after the state opens Georgia Access.
The concern of patient advocates about shopping directly with insurance companies or agents is that they are motivated to show people plans that will make their business more profitable, rather than plans will give people the best protection. Some patients have reported being switched from insurance plans that ruined their coverage and left them thousands of dollars in debt.
Federal laws intended to protect consumers from abusive practices are still in effect. The Chief’s Office has been overseeing the approval of Georgia’s ACA insurance offerings, and will continue to do so.
As of Wednesday evening, GeorgiaAccess.gov remained the state’s official website. A website with the same name, GeorgiaAccess.org, directed the reader to the website of what appears to be an insurance business called VIP Health Insurance, operated by Victory Insurance Partners; the owner of the URL registration was kept private.
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