Georgia’s Black and Latino Georgians already experienced poorer health and lagging economic opportunities, even before the onset of COVID-19. The data is clear that the pandemic has only worsened these dynamics.

While Georgians of color work to protect their health and take care of their families during this difficult time, Governor Kemp put forward a plan that would deepen their troubles. Health officials are asking for public input about the Governor’s plan from all Georgians so we are asking you to speak up today! The deadline is January 9th!

The Governor’s plan would reconstruct Georgia’s health insurance marketplace in two ways. The second part of the plan would lead to many more uninsured or underinsured Georgians, many of whom would be Black and brown Georgians:

Part 1. Reinsurance—which helps lower premiums for health plans sold on through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace (healthcare.gov); and

Part 2. The Georgia Access model—which would cause thousands of Georgians to become uninsured by eliminating HealthCare.gov as a one-stop-shop for Georgians to compare all plans and apply for coverage.

Heard enough? Take action now to protect Georgians of color by telling health officials that this plan doesn’t work for Georgia.

Black, & brown communities would be left behind by the Governor’s plan

The second part of the Governor Kemp’s plan endangers Georgia’s communities of color in three big ways:

1. Many Georgians would end up uninsured. The Governor’s plan removes Georgians from an unbiased enrollment system that consumers know & trust. Instead, the plan forces them to use a disconnected system that puts insurance companies in charge. Eight out of 10 Georgians who buy their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act use HealthCare.gov to shop and enroll. Many of these consumers will get lost in the shuffle from HealthCare.gov to the Governor’s more limited and confusing system. For Black & brown Georgians who are more likely to live in areas with limited internet access, the Governor’s fragmented system would mean navigating many more websites and spending more time over a slow internet connection to shop and enroll in health insurance. These difficulties could lead to as many as 46,000 more uninsured Georgians in the first year of the program.

2. The new system closes a door to Medicaid. In 2019, 38,000 Georgians enrolled in Medicaid through HealthCare.gov, but the Governor’s plan would close off that enrollment pathway. The insurance companies and agents who would be empowered by the Governor’s plan rarely help Georgians navigate the Medicaid enrollment process. The change would mean many Georgians of color who qualify for Medicaid never have the chance to enroll and benefit from the coverage.

3. Georgians would end up with gaps in coverage & expensive health care bills. The Governor’s plan would force Georgians to shop for health insurance in a system run by profit-driven health insurers and web-brokers who are known to steer consumers towards profitable substandard plans. Many substandard plans do not cover the health services that Georgians need (especially during a pandemic!), like prescription drugs, mental health, or substance use services. Because Georgians of color experience a higher burden of chronic disease, it is imperative that their insurance coverage be complete and without these kinds of dangerous gaps. Instead, the Governor’s plan could limit access to care even further and expose Georgians to unaffordable medical bills.

Take action now and tell health officials that this plan does not work for Georgians! Speak up to protect Georgia’s communities of color today! The deadline for comments is January 9th.