Most people don’t think about health policy until it affects them personally. That moment might come when a larger-than-expected medical bill arrives, a doctor is suddenly no longer in-network, a prescription becomes too expensive to fill, or hours are spent trying to renew a child’s Medicaid coverage.
Those experiences often begin long before someone walks into a doctor’s office or pharmacy. They are shaped by decisions made by elected leaders about how health care is funded, regulated, and delivered.
FY2027 Budget: The Conference Committee’s Final Deal
In the final days of Georgia’s 2026 legislative session, a conference committee made up of three House and three Senate members negotiated the final Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) state budget after the two chambers disagreed on spending priorities across health care, workforce, and rural infrastructure. Both chambers passed the conference committee’s final FY27 budget before Sine Die on the last day of the legislative session. The FY27 budget funds the state from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.
WEEK 11: WHAT THE SENATE BUDGET MEANS FOR HEALTH CARE IN GEORGIA
Last week, the Georgia Senate passed its version of the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) state budget. The FY27 budget funds the state from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. The Senate made significant changes to the House’s version of the budget, including dramatically expanding waiver capacity for Georgians with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), redistributing Medicaid provider rate increases, and scaling back several House investments in public health, workforce, and rural health infrastructure.
Georgians for a Healthy Future is collecting stories from Georgians whose health coverage has been affected by rising Georgia Access Marketplace premiums. If your costs have gone up this year and it changed what coverage you can afford or how you use your health care, we want to hear from you.
You May Still Qualify for Health Insurance Through Georgia Access
Life changes fast. Marriage, a move, a new job, or losing coverage can happen to anyone. You may still qualify for health insurance through Georgia Access, even if you missed Open Enrollment.
Each year, Open Enrollment is the time when most Georgians can sign up for health insurance through Georgia Access, the state’s health insurance marketplace. For coverage in 2026, Open Enrollment ran from November 1, 2025, through January 15, 2026. Outside of that window, you typically need to experience a qualifying life event to enroll in or change a plan through a Special Enrollment Period (SEP).
What Are Higher Health Insurance Costs Doing to Your Family?
If your health insurance costs went up this year, you are not alone.
Thousands of Georgians are paying more for their Georgia Access coverage right now. Some have seen their monthly premiums double or even triple. Others have had to choose cheaper plans with higher deductibles or drop coverage completely. These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. They represent real families making difficult decisions about their health and financial security. Are you one of these Georgians?
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.
Millions of Georgians Could Face Big Increases in Health Insurance Costs—Here’s What You Need to Know
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.
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.
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
Georgians with Medicaid or Georgia Access coverage: Your story matters.
Georgians for a Healthy Future is partnering with Families USA to amplify the voices of Georgians who rely on Medicaid and affordable health coverage. If you’ve been helped by Medicaid or the enhanced premium tax credits through Georgia Access, we invite you to share your story.
Why Your Story is Important
Right now, health care protections are at risk. With federal cuts to Medicaid on the horizon and the possible expiration of enhanced tax credits, it’s more important than ever for Georgians to speak up and make their voices heard. Your story can help policymakers understand how these programs affect real lives — and why they need to be protected.
Georgia residents have some of the highest medical debt in the country, and it could get worse
Ellen Eldridge
LISTEN: On average, Georgia has twice as much medical debt than the rest of the country, according to Georgians for a Healthy Future Executive Director Laura Colbert. GPB’s Ellen Eldridge…
