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Georgia Health Insurance Companies
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Georgia Health Insurance Options
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How to Get the Most Savings
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Georgia Health Insurance FAQS
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How to Enroll in Health Insurance in Georgia
Georgia Health Insurance Companies
Georgia has several insurance companies to choose from for affordable healthcare plans. In fact, there are currently 13 companies offering plans. Here’s a look at a few of them:
Alliant Health Plans
Alliant offers coverage in 67 counties in Georgia. They offer the cheapest plans available, and you can find almost any type of plan you’re looking for, including PPOs and HMOs in Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. They even offer catastrophic plans, if you qualify for one.
Ambetter from Peach State Health Plan
Ambetter has the second cheapest rates in the state after Alliant. They offer several Bronze, Silver, and Gold plans, as well as plenty of benefits, to their policyholders. These benefits can include $0 copays for telehealth, a program called My Health Pays that offers cash rewards for completing health-related challenges, and discounts on medications when you use Walgreens pharmacies.
Ambetter from Peach State Health Plan is available in almost the entire state. The only counties not in the coverage area are:
- Banks
- Carroll
- Dawson
- Habersham
- Hall
- Lumpkin
- Rabun
- Towns
- Union
Kaiser Permanente
In Georgia, Kaiser Permanente offers family and individual health insurance plans for students, recent graduates, self-employed people, people in-between jobs, part-time workers, and people who are retiring early.
Health Insurance Marketplace in Georgia
If you’re looking for health insurance in Georgia, a good place to start is the health insurance Marketplace. During the Open Enrollment Period (OEP), Marketplace health insurance, which was created by the Affordable Care Act, offers certain consumer protections, guarantees coverage for pre-existing conditions, and includes coverage for what are known as the “10 essential health benefits”:
- Ambulatory patient services (outpatient care)
- Emergency services
- Hospitalization
- Pregnancy, maternity, and newborn care (both before and after birth)
- Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment (including counseling and psychotherapy)
- Prescription drugs
- Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
- Laboratory services
- Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management
- Pediatric services, including oral and vision care (but adult dental and vision coverage aren’t essential health benefits)
Each of the ACA-compliant plans offered on the Marketplace are divided into the different types, known as metal tiers: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. These tiers do not signal a difference in quality of care, though. The tiers differ in your out-of-pocket costs versus what your plan covers.
It’s important to remember that the Marketplace only offers the plans of participating providers. So unfortunately, while the Marketplace is a great tool, you may not be able to compare every plan available to you.
Whether you want a Marketplace plan, or a plan from a private insurer, an EZ agent can help. We work with all carriers in your state in order to compare all options available.
Over half of the uninsured in Georgia who qualify for Marketplace insurance coverage could get a Bronze plan for FREE.
Georgia’s Short Term Health Insurance Guidelines
If you’ve missed the OEP or have a need for health insurance for a short amount of time, short-term plans are a great option. It’s important to note, though, that these policies tend to only cover the basics, and you can be denied one of these plans if you have a pre-existing condition.
There are some rules around short-term plans, though, both at the federal and the state level. As in every state, Georgia has its own guidelines for short-term health insurance. In Georgia’s case, the state follows the guidelines set by the federal government rather than making its own. That means you can purchase an initial plan with a term of 364 days. You can renew up to 3 times, meaning your plan can last up to 3 years. In addition, once the 3 years are up, you can purchase another plan and start again.
Georgia Health Insurance Options
Finding health insurance can be confusing, but you have options:
Private insurance – As pointed out above, there are plenty of insurance companies and plans to choose from in Georgia. You can buy these plans directly from your preferred insurance company’s website or even use the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, since Georgia doesn’t have its own state-run exchange.
Employer-sponsored health plans – Georgia doesn’t have any laws requiring employers to offer health insurance to their staff, but many still do. If your employer does offer health insurance, it’s worth looking into, since these plans are often cheaper individual plans.
Government assistance – The government offers options for individuals and families under certain circumstances. Medicaid is for people and families with low incomes. You can find low-cost or even free plans through Medicaid, but you have to meet certain income requirements to be eligible. Medicare offers low-cost plans to those 65 and older, or adults living with qualifying disabilities.
There are resources available to help you find coverage, and one of the best resources out there is an insurance agent. EZ’s agents can help you compare all of your plan options in minutes.
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How to Get the Most Savings
When it comes to healthcare, Georgia is on the expensive side. It ranks 18th most expensive among all states, with an average annual cost of healthcare of $8,282 per person. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take some steps to save money on your healthcare costs!
Taking care of your health is the first step in keeping your premiums low. Your body mass index (BMI) can raise or lower your monthly payments. If you’re among the 33.1% of adults in Georgia who are considered obese, lowering your BMI will help keep your body and your budget healthy.
Smoking is another factor that can raise your rates. 15% of adults in Georgia are reported smokers, and if you’re among them, your premium rates can increase by as much as 50%! Consider quitting to lower your premiums, as well as your healthcare costs in general. Not to mention smoking is linked to so many health problems, quitting will improve your health as well.
You’ve heard it before, location, location, location. Where you live also affects your premiums: certain areas have more healthcare providers available, making premiums lower. The 6 counties in Georgia with the cheapest rates are Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Glynn, Mcintosh, and Wayne.
With all that being said, the quickest way to save money is working with an agent. EZ’s agents can work within your budget and find local discounts to apply to your plan. In fact, our agents can save you hundreds of dollars a year on health insurance. And using an EZ agent in itself saves you money because our services come at no cost or obligation to you.
Georgia Health Insurance FAQS
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Does Georgia require you to have health insurance?
The Affordable Care Act technically requires all citizens to have health insurance, but there is no longer a federal tax penalty for not having coverage. With that being said, a handful of states do require you to have health insurance – but Georgia is not one of them. So no, in Georgia you are not required to have health insurance.
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What is the cheapest health insurance in Georgia?
The cheapest health plan will be a Bronze plan, which can start as low as $267 a month. Remember, though, health insurance plan prices can vary depending on age, zip code, gender, and other factors.
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How much does health insurance cost in Georgia?
The average monthly premium for health insurance in Georgia is $394, or $4,728 per year, with plans as low as $303 a month to as high as $1,075. But do not let these numbers scare you. More than half of uninsured people in Georgia qualify for a $0 Bronze plan and don’t even know it.
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Which insurance companies offer plans in Georgia?
The top 6 insurers in your state are Alliant Health Plans, Ambetter of Peach State, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, CareSource, Georgia Co., Kaiser Permanente, and Oscar Health Plan of GA.
How to Enroll in Health Insurance in Georgia
You can enroll in a health insurance plan in a few different ways. You can go through your employer, purchase a plan on your own, or use the Marketplace. However, you choose, the enrollment process can be confusing and time-consuming. But an EZ agent can guide you through the entire process. We will go over all of your medical and financial needs, and after reviewing all of the information you give us, we can compare all of your plan options and answer any questions you might have.
If you still have questions, feel free to give us a call at 877-670-3557. When you call, you will be directly connected to a local insurance agent who can answer all of your questions and help you find the health insurance plan that works best for you.
