Congress and President Donald Trump have a lot of decisions to make as they take the reins of government. One of them will have a big impact on the price tag for many Georgians’ health insurance.
Those Georgians buy their plans on Georgia Access, the marketplace for Affordable Care Act health insurance in the state. ACA plans insure more than 1.5 million Georgians, and more than 23 million Americans nationwide.
Federal subsidies have always lowered the price of ACA premiums for some shoppers. In addition, since the COVID-19 pandemic, “enhanced subsidies” have cut the price even more. A lot of Georgians could see their premiums double without those enhanced subsides.
The enhanced subsidies are temporary, and set to expire at the end of 2025. Price hikes would start Jan. 1, 2026.
If Congress decided to extend the enhanced subsidies, the estimated cost to the federal budget would be about $335 billion total over 10 years. And that’s an issue when Trump has expressed a goal of cutting taxes.
So how much are prices likely to rise?
No one knows exactly. But the health research nonprofit has put together a map that gives an idea.
Monthly premium prices vary by ZIP code — and by age, by household size and how strong a plan they choose — so it’s hard to make a simple statement of how much the price hikes will affect each household.
For their interactive map, KFF Health News has divided up the nation by congressional district. Scrolling over a district brings up a few examples for that area.
For example, in the 9th Congressional District including Rabun County at the top eastern corner of the state, occupied by Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde: A 60-year-old couple making $82,000 per year would see their monthly premium increase from $581 to $2,001. That’s using 2024 prices, and if they chose a mid-level “silver” plan.
In the end, Congress and Trump will decide.
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