Premium Increases For Georgia’s 2018 Exchange May Not Be Over

The HealthCare.gov website, where people can buy health insurance, is displayed on a laptop screen in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Andrew Harnik / Associated Press

The four insurers offering coverage in Georgia’s insurance exchange next year are increasing their proposed rates beyond the big premium hikes that they first sought, state officials said Tuesday.

The ever-increasing premiums proposed by insurers reflect the instability surrounding the insurance exchanges, which provide health plans for individuals and families who don’t have job-based or government coverage. The exchanges in the individual states were created under the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare.

Almost 500,000 Georgians signed up for coverage this year in the state’s exchange.