As the monthly cost for health insurance goes up, Georgia proposes its own financial assistance

Georgia is asking the federal government to greenlight a new financial assistance program for people with an Affordable Care Act Plan.   The request comes in the form of a waiver amendment to the state’s reinsurance program and would need to be approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. State officials from the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire are asking for an implementation date in time for open enrollment in late 2027.   Right now, most people shopping for an Affordable Care Act plan choose from monthly premiums that reflect federal subsidies paid to insurance providers to lower costs.  Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King speaks about fines for private insurance company violations of parity law.Credit: Ellen Eldridge/GPB News Under Georgia’s new plan, those shopping during open enrollment would instead see the full cost of a premium, and once enrolled, the state would deposit money every month into a special account for subsidy