Residents in The Peach State are spread out over 159 counties, second only to Texas with 254. It was the last Confederate state to be restored to the Union after the Civil War. Georgia leans right with conservative Democrats and Republicans dominating their elections, including a win for the Republicans in the most recent presidential election. Georgia was one of the states to challenge the Affordable Care Act during its initial Supreme Court debacle, and the state did not expand Medicaid under Obamacare guidelines.
Enrollment through the Years
Georgia uses the federal marketplace for enrollment in Obamacare plans. Since 2015, the state has seen a decline in the number of people signing up for coverage through the marketplace. After a boost in 2016, there was a sharp decline between 2016 and 2017.
- 541,080 Georgians enrolled in 2015
- 587,845 Georgians enrolled in 2016
- 493,880 Georgians enrolled in 2017
In 2017, there were 174,931 new enrollees in an Obamacare marketplace plan. The remaining 318,949 people who signed up re-enrolled from the previous year. A tumultuous political year undoubtedly affected enrollment. Exchange customers in Georgia tend to be younger. The 18-34 demographic had the highest enrollment tally in 2017. Georgia did not participate in Medicaid expansion.
Cost Assistance
Cost assistance is available to eligible enrollees who choose a plan on the marketplace, typically those earning between 100 and 400 percent of the federal poverty limit. In 2017, 87 percent of people who enrolled in a marketplace plan in Georgia received cost assistance in the form of federal subsidies, reducing the monthly cost of premiums.
For certain enrollees – those earning up to 250 percent of the federal poverty limit – cost-sharing reductions (CSRs) are also available if they choose a silver-level health plan. In 2017, 69 percent of Georgia exchange customers received CSRs.
Carrier Participation & Plan Availability
Georgians have three carrier options in the marketplace for 2018, which is a decrease from the five they had in 2017. Last year, there were 3,192 plans offered by these carriers across the state. This does not mean that every county in Georgia has the same options for health insurance. Plan availability varies by county even in states that have as little as three carriers.
