Georgia ACA enrollment falls as federal changes push prices higher

As federal changes drive up the cost of Affordable Care Act health insurance plans for next year, about 190,000 fewer people in Georgia had enrolled ahead of the Dec. 15 open enrollment deadline than last year, data show.

While about 1.5 million people had enrolled by the deadline in 2024, this year about 1.3 million people had, according to data from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Georgia Department of Insurance.

More than two-thirds of current enrollees were automatically enrolled into the same or similar plan for 2026, meaning they took no action to select a plan for next year, spokesperson Bryce Rawson said. Those customers could face sticker shock as higher premiums come due in January.