By Dave Williams, Capitol Beat News Service

ATLANTA – For more than a decade, Georgians have been able to sign up for health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the federal government’s healthcare.gov website.

That’s about to change. Starting Nov. 1, a new state-based exchange – Georgia Access – will replace healthcare.gov as Georgia becomes the 20th state to trade in the federal exchange for a state-specific model.

“The ACA envisioned that each state would operate their own exchange,” said Whitney Griggs, health policy director for the nonprofit Georgians for a Healthy Future. “States know best how to reach their residents. … (Georgia) has a real opportunity to create something better than healthcare.gov.”

The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved a waiver in August allowing the state to launch Georgia Access. The state-based exchange will give the Georgia insurance department more flexibility to pursue innovative solutions, John King, the agency’s commissioner, said at the time.

“We are restoring control over our health coverage to the people of Georgia,” King said.

But Griggs said some aspects of ditching healthcare.gov for a state-based model are cause for concern. She said Georgia’s decision to sign up enrollees to Georgia Access through web brokers or insurance companies as well as the program’s own website could lead “bad actors” to enroll people in coverage plans that are not ACA-compliant.

“Other states are really pushing enrollment through their own websites,” Griggs said. “Georgia is going to be the only state relying on this model so heavily.”

But Cheryl Gardner, executive director of Georgia Access, said the direct-enrollment approach is one of the program’s advantages. She said more than 15,000 licensed and certified agents will be available to help steer enrollees toward the best coverage options for them.

“Agents offer consumers localized help and a personalized customer experience,” Gardner said. “They are integral in our mission to providing multiple pathways for consumers to enroll in health coverage and to reducing the number of uninsured residents in Georgia.”

Griggs said she’s also wary of the technical components that will have to fall in place for Georgia Access to successfully enroll the approximately 400,000 Georgians eligible for coverage who don’t have it. She and other health-care advocates who have worked in the field for years have long memories of the glitches that occurred when healthcare.gov was first rolled out in 2013.

“I still have PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) from trying to use the (federal) exchange,” Griggs said.

To address any trepidation that might occur with the new state-based exchange, Georgia Access will offer a preview of the program’s 2025 health insurance plan offerings beginning Oct. 28 at GeorgiaAccess.gov.

“We want the enrollment process to be as convenient and accessible as possible for Georgia consumers,” King said. “Plan preview provides consumers an opportunity to browse and determine which plan best fits their wallets and needs before open enrollment begins.”

Griggs said she is optimistic Georgia Access won’t go through the same growth pains as healthcare.gov experienced in its early days.

“Now, the technology is so commonplace,” she said. “People are used to using these websites.”

Coverage through Georgia Access will begin on Jan. 1 for those who select a plan by Dec. 16. For more information, visit GeorgiaAccess.gov or call the Georgia Access Contact Center at 888-687-1503.