Health Insurance in Georgia

Protecting your family's health is important, so health insurance should be one of your most important purchases. Georgia residents have many options when it comes to buying insurance, including low-cost options. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) can help you pay for some of these options with income-based subsidies.

If you're unsure about what your options are when it comes to buying health insurance, HealthMarkets can help. We work with a network that includes hundreds of insurance companies nationwide to provide you with a number of policies.

Georgia's Health Coverage Facts

Even after the passing of the ACA in 2010, Georgia is still experiencing some of the worst uninsured rates in the United States. More than 300,000 Georgians who made below the Federal Poverty Level were left without health insurance coverage in 2016 due to the state’s decision to not expand Medicaid eligibility.

However, in 2015, more than 530,000 Georgia residents purchased a health insurance plan through public or private marketplaces like HealthMarkets. This is almost a 200,000 person increase from 2014. 

At HealthMarkets, we want to help more Georgians access the healthcare they need, regardless of their income level. With the ACA's subsidy program still in place, Georgia residents have more options than ever to find affordable health insurance.

Subsidies to Pay for Health Plans in GA

From covered preventive services to subsidy programs, the ACA has created many ways for families, of all income levels, to afford paying for health insurance or other protections, regardless of which tiered plan they purchased. 

10 Essential Health Benefits

As mandatory coverage, every health insurance plan should come with 10 essential health benefits. These benefits are required to be covered by health insurance providers, so long as services are done through doctors and specialists who work within the provider's network. These benefits include:

1. Prescription drugs
2. Pediatric services
3. Preventive and wellness services, and chronic disease management
4. Emergency services
5. Hospitalization
6. Mental health and addiction services
7. Pregnancy, maternity, and newborn care
8. Ambulatory patient services
9. Laboratory services
10. Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices

In addition to covered services, the ACA also provides subsidy programs to help low-income families pay for monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs. 

Premium Tax Credit

This tax credit is a type of subsidy that helps low-income families making between 100 percent and 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level pay for their monthly premiums. This is done by either having the government pay credit directly to your health insurance provider to supplement the cost of your monthly premiums or by allowing you to file a tax return to claim the monthly premiums you've paid.

Cost-Sharing Reduction

This cost-sharing reduction is a type of subsidy that helps families making a modest income between 100 percent and 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Level pay for their out-of-pocket costs. This means that their health insurance provider can cover a larger percentage of their deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance costs when they receive service more than their policy initially states. 

HealthMarkets Finds Affordable Health Insurance for Georgia

No matter what your situation, HealthMarkets agents in Georgia can help. We’re ready to enroll you and your family in a plan that works with your budget and medical needs. 

Give us a call at (800) 360-1402 or request a free quote online to get started today.

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Sources:

The Georgia Budget & Policy Institute: http://gbpi.org/georgia-falls-to-second-worst-uninsured-rate-in-u-s
IRS: https://www.irs.gov/Affordable-Care-Act/Individuals-and-Families/Questions-and-Answers-on-the-Premium-Tax-Credit
KHN: http://khn.org/news/070913-michelle-andrews-on-cost-sharing-subsidies/