Consumers are dealing with fewer choices and double-digit rate hikes.
Healthcare Options in Georgia Are Bleak
Open enrollment for health plans
found on Georgia’s individual insurance marketplace started Nov. 1 and will
last until Jan. 31, but consumers aren’t liking what they’re finding.
First, there are fewer choices in
insurers. Last year, there were nine healthcare provider options with
government subsidies, but this year, only five are remaining, reported WTOC.com. Second, the insurers who are left
are charging double-digit increases. Blue Cross Blue Shield
of Georgia, the only provider offering plans to all of Georgia, has increased
rates by more than 21 percent, per the approval of the state insurance
commissioner. Even more staggering, Humana received approval for a 67.5 percent
rate hike. For small businesses, many of whom purchase health insurance on the
individual market, this is a big hit.
Meanwhile, a recent survey
conducted by the Physicians Foundation found that many Georgia doctors have a
more negative view of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) than their counterparts
nationwide, reported The Marietta
Daily Journal. The survey found that 59 percent of Georgia
doctors give the ACA a D or F grade, compared with 48 percent of doctors across
the country who would give the same rating.