How to Sign Up for Obamacare in Georgia
For 2024 health insurance plans, Georgia open enrollment runs from November 1, 2023 through January 15, 2024. If you enroll by December 15, your coverage will begin on January 1, 2024.
Once the open enrollment period has ended, you may still be able to purchase health insurance for this year if you qualify for a special enrollment period. For example, if you’ve recently lost your job or significant income, you might qualify for a 60-day special enrollment period that will allow you to sign up for a new health insurance plan. (See What Happens If I Miss the Enrollment Deadline?)
Where's the Georgia Health Care Exchange?
In Georgia, you may have heard that you can no longer buy health insurance through Healthcare.gov, but that's not true. While the Trump administration approved a plan to close Healthcare.gov to Georgians, the Biden administration suspended the plan because it didn't meet the legal requirements of the Affordable Care Act. Georgia residents can still use Healthcare.gov to compare plans, sign up for coverage, and get financial assistance.
Georgia Medicaid Expansion: Do I Qualify for Medicaid Under the ACA?
The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) expanded Medicaid eligibility to include more people who couldn’t otherwise obtain health insurance. As written, the ACA would extend Medicaid to all adults with incomes at or below 138% of the federal poverty level. (For a single person in Georgia in 2023, that’s $20,120. For a family of four, it’s $41,400.)
However, the U.S. Supreme Court later ruled that it was up to individual states to decide whether to expand Medicaid. As of December 2023, only 10 states have not expanded their programs.
Georgia Has Not Expanded Medicaid
Because Georgia has not yet expanded Medicaid eligibility, you may have fewer options for health coverage than people in states where Medicaid is more inclusive.
The Medicaid Coverage Gap
The Affordable Care Act assumed that Medicaid would be expanded to cover all Americans with incomes at or below 138% of the federal poverty level. And it created health plan subsidies for people with incomes between 100% - 400% of the poverty level.
That means Georgia residents with incomes below the poverty level may fall into a coverage gap where they can get neither Medicaid nor ACA subsidies.
Get Help Finding a Health Insurance Plan in Georgia
Get Help From Georgia's Health Insurance Exchange
The following links and telephone numbers take you to the official help resources for Healthcare.gov, the health insurance marketplace for Georgia.
Help by phone: 800-318-2596 (TTY: 855-889-4325)
In-person help: Go to Find Local Help, where you can enter your city and state or zip code to find an application assister, insurance agent, or health insurance broker in your area.
Get Help From a Licensed Insurance Broker
To directly connect with a Georgia insurance broker who can help you evaluate insurance plans and choose a plan that's appropriate for your situation, call 800-943-6832. (We receive advertising income from the licensed brokers who offer their services through this telephone number.)
More Information
For more detailed information, see How Do I Sign Up for Obamacare in Georgia?
