ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp rolled out his plan Thursday to overhaul the state’s individual insurance market in a way that he said lowers premiums of thousands of Georgians.
“It’s safe to say that Republicans, Democrats and independents agree on one thing -- that insurance premiums are too dang high,” Kemp said.
He’s calling the plan Georgia Access, and it will require a waiver or permission from the federal government, since it will require $2.7 billion in federal subsidy money.
It will also require a nearly $300 million investment by the state.
The plan divides up Georgia into three tiers, depending on a particular geographic areas access to health care options and insurance premium rates.
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Tier One includes most of Metro Atlanta. Because it has good access to health care and lower rates, individual insurance buyers there could see a drop of nearly 5% in premiums.
Tier Two includes much of central and north Georgia. Customers there could see a 14% drop in prices.
Tier Three, which includes most of South Georgia along with sections of Northeast and Northwest Georgia, could get a 25% decrease.
The governor said his plan will not preclude preexisting conditions and will allow employers not able to provide comprehensive health insurance to contribute to their employees’ health plans, something prohibited now by federal law.
Customers of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, would no longer be able to use Healthcare.gov. Instead, the state said it will create its own site to direct customers to web health insurance brokers or individual health insurance companies.
Kemp is expected to roll out his second phase Monday, which could deal with limited Medicaid expansion.
Democrats still believe limited expansion won’t cover enough Georgians who need it.
State Sen. Gloria Butler, D-Stone Mountain, said full Medicaid expansion is still the way to go.
“Democrats believe that with the number of people that we have that are not insured or underinsured, that our plan would be a better plan.”
Cox Media Group
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