Atlanta

Georgia sees spike in new ‘Obamacare’ sign ups

ATLANTA — Data from federal health officials show Georgia experienced a dramatic increase in the number of people signing up for health care coverage during a special enrollment window for the Affordable Care Act.

Between February 15 and August 15, a little more than 147,000 people in the state selected an ACA health plan.

That’s according to a report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that was released on Sept. 15.

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During the same period last year, about 41,000 people in Georgia signed up.

Other states that use the HealthCare.gov platform also saw spikes in new enrollees as the Biden administration expanded ACA tax credits and the COVID pandemic surged again.

Channel 2′s Justin Wilfon spoke to a family of three from Forsyth County who enrolled in a plan this year for $250 a month.

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“That’s one of the reasons we didn’t have healthcare is because we couldn’t afford it. So now that it’s out there, that’s a good thing,” Joseph Courson said.

Courson believes it’s worth every penny for peace of mind.

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“It’s a very stressful thing when you don’t have it because you may not have that regular visit you need, or you may not go to the doctor,” Courson said. “I’m self-employed so it’s best that I get insurance for the family.”

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report