Georgia’s family caregivers give their time, energy, and hearts to care for loved ones every day. This National Family Caregivers Month, Georgians for a Healthy Future celebrates their stories and calls for stronger policies to support them.

November is National Family Caregivers Month, a time to honor the Georgians who care for loved ones, neighbors, and community members with strength and compassion. Every day, family caregivers perform acts of love in motion—managing medications, offering emotional support, navigating health systems, and keeping households running.

At Georgians for a Healthy Future (GHF), we’re proud to support caregivers through our Caregivers Advisory Group, which is dedicated to raising awareness and expanding outreach to caregivers of all ages, in both paid and unpaid roles. This group helps shape policies that ensure caregivers are recognized, supported, and connected to vital resources.

Open enrollment is almost here! From November 1, 2025, through January 15, 2026, Georgians can shop for health insurance coverage for 2026 through GeorgiaAccess.gov.

This year brings a few important changes, including higher premium rates and the end of extra savings that made coverage more affordable in recent years. 

Here’s how to make the most of this year’s open enrollment period and find a plan that works for you and your family.

Updated April 2026: The Enhanced Premium Tax Credits Have Expired

Congress did not act to extend the enhanced premium tax credits (ePTCs) before they expired on December 31, 2025. The impact on Georgia families is already taking shape:

• Enrollment is down. Initial 2026 plan year data shows Georgia Access enrollment dropped by roughly 200,000 people compared to 2025, a 14% decrease.
• Premiums have surged. For Georgians who kept their coverage, out-of-pocket premium costs rose by an average of 114%, with the average net monthly premium roughly doubling from $69 to $148.
• More coverage losses are projected. An estimated 460,000 Georgians are expected to lose Georgia Access coverage and become uninsured between 2025 and 2034 because of the ePTC expiration combined with new restrictions in the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (H.R. 1).
• Georgia’s health care system will feel it. Health care providers are projected to lose $25 billion in revenue over that same period, deepening strain on rural hospitals and communities already facing provider shortages.

Georgia is not without options. State leaders can act to soften these impacts through targeted premium assistance, reinsurance program adjustments, cost-sharing support, stronger consumer assistance, and special enrollment flexibilities.

Our new policy brief, The Road Ahead for Georgia Access: Navigating the End of Enhanced Subsidies and the Impacts of Federal Policy Shifts, lays out what is happening, who is most affected, and the policy tools available to Georgia leaders right now.

▶ Read the full policy brief

Note: The blog content below was written before the enhanced premium tax credits expired. For the most current information and analysis, please refer to the policy brief linked above.

August 2025: Enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits (ePTCs) still expire on December 31, 2025, unless Congress acts. In 2025, Georgia Access enrolled over 1.5 million Georgians, 93% of whom depend on these subsidies to make health coverage affordable. Without an extension, premiums in Georgia are projected to jump over 75% on average, and most 2026 insurer filings already assume the credits will lapse. A typical example: a 60-year-old couple earning about $85,000 would pay roughly $18,000 more per year if the ePTCs disappear. The premium increases resulting from the expiration of the ePTCs could cause about 340,000 more Georgians to become uninsured. In short: swift Congressional action to extend the ePTCs—ideally before rate finalization—would prevent sharp premium spikes for Georgia families and avert significant coverage losses. 

See how costs could rise in your Congressional district or use the calculator to estimate cost increases based on your income information — then contact your members of Congress today and tell them to extend the enhanced premium tax credits to keep health care affordable for Georgia families.

Since 2008, Georgians for a Healthy Future has partnered with community members, organizations, and decision-makers to help make health care more affordable and accessible across the state.

In 2024, your support has helped us make meaningful progress:

Making Medicaid and Marketplace Coverage Work Better for Georgians

• We worked with Voices for Georgia’s Children to streamline children’s Medicaid enrollment through Express Lane Eligibility
• Our staff submitted detailed recommendations and helped mobilize public comments to improve the state’s Pathways to Coverage program
  
• GHF’s Executive Director spoke at Georgia’s first legislative hearing focused on Medicaid expansion, offering expert testimony to help lawmakers understand the coverage gap