For the last year and a half, Georgia Equality has been advocating around the Governor’s Healthcare Waivers. While waivers have the potential to improve our health system and expand access to healthcare for hundreds of thousands of Georgians, too often the Governor’s plan has been insufficient to meet Georgia’s needs, and in some cases have been downright harmful. Through our participation in public comments, we have ensured that Georgia Insurance Plans will continue to cover the 10 Essential Benefits, saved the requirement that Mental Healthcare copays and premiums cost the same as other comparable health services, and protected the right of eligible Georgians to receive government subsidies to purchase health insurance.

We have accomplished so much, and now we need your help to clear the final hurdle. Governor Kemp’s current plan wants to remove Georgian’s access to Healthcare.gov. Currently, 450,000 Georgians purchase their health insurance through Healthcare.gov and have been doing so for close to a decade. It is a tried and true method that small-business owners, restaurant staff, and seasonal workers rely on to receive the care they need. If the Governor’s plan is approved, when a worker selects Georgia on Healthcare.gov, the site would say there are no plans available! The worker would then have to purchase their insurance through private, profit-driven web brokers or directly from the insurance companies. They would have to search through multiple sites and services to purchase a plan, and they have no way of knowing if the plan they are selecting is the best plan for them or the best profit for the insurance company. Healthcare.gov provides easy, side-by-side comparison and clear levels of coverage that almost half-a-million Georgians use every year. It is unbiased and essential to the health of our communities. The Governor’s plan will result in thousands of Georgians losing coverage when they lose access to this tool.

 

We have accomplished so much already, and hundreds of thousands of Georgians are relying on you to save Healthcare.gov during this unprecedented global pandemic. Please submit your comment today to stop this harmful plan at CoverGA.org.