ATLANTA (AP) – The Biden administration’s decision to reevaluate Georgia’s plan to overhaul how state residents buy health insurance under the Affordable Care Act came as a “surprise” and suggests it wants to revisit the plan’s approval, which is not allowed, Gov. Brian Kemp’s office said.
Georgia’s plan – dubbed “Georgia Access” – would improve the experience of shopping for insurance and encourage the private sector to enroll uninsured Georgia residents, the director of Kemp’s Office of Health Strategy and Coordination said in a letter to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
“Despite unsubstantiated claims to the contrary, Georgia Access will put more affordable, quality insurance coverage within reach of consumers in our state than a one-size-fits-all federal solution,” the letter by Grant Thomas says. It is dated July 2 and was first reported by Georgia Health News.
Under the Republican governor’s plan, Georgia residents would bypass healthcare.gov and shop for federally subsidized health insurance through private agents.
Critics worry the move will make it harder to shop for insurance and drive healthy people to cheaper plans that provide limited coverage, increasing insurance premiums for older and sicker people who need the comprehensive benefits required by the ACA. That’s because Georgia’s move to private websites would make it easier for consumers to simultaneously see plans that don’t provide all the benefits required by the ACA.