ATLANTA, GA June 25, 2015 – Today, the United States Supreme Court made an important decision that preserves health insurance coverage for the more than 400,000 Georgians who receive tax credits. “Georgia Watch is breathing a sigh of relief because these Georgians can continue accessing affordable insurance and life-saving healthcare,” said Beth Stephens, Health Access Program Director for Georgia Watch.
Since 2013, Georgia Watch navigators have assisted hundreds of Georgia consumers to gain affordable coverage through the Marketplace. Nine out of ten Georgians who have purchased health insurance via healthcare.gov are receiving a tax credit. One such Georgian is a 32-year-old woman who has not had health insurance coverage since she was a child. This woman recently gained employment at a supermarket chain, but did not qualify for coverage from her new employer. With the help of Georgia Watch navigator Elise Blasingame, she found a plan via healthcare.gov that was affordable at $38.14 per month after her tax credit was applied. Her plan has no deductible and very affordable co-pays for primary care and specialist visits. She can even continue seeing her providers at her local community health centers, as they are in-network for her new plan.
“Now that the advance premium tax credit, a key consumer benefit in the Affordable Care Act, has been preserved, Georgia Watch hopes that our state leaders will act swiftly to close the coverage gap and expand Medicaid coverage to the hundreds of thousands of Georgians who still cannot access affordable health insurance,” said Stephens.
Founded in 2002, Georgia Watch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization advocating for consumers and patients in our state. Our mission is to empower and protect Georgia consumers on matters that impact their wallets and quality of life through education, advocacy and policy development. Georgia Watch’s Health Access Program (HAP) seeks to ensure access to safe, quality and affordable healthcare for all Georgians.