ATLANTA — The number of Georgians signed up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act is down by nearly 200,000 since last year.
Just 1.3 million Georgians signed up for coverage under the ACA for 2026 down from 1.5 million at the same time last year.
Whitney Griggs with Georgians for a Healthy Future says this is not entirely surprising.
“The premium spikes were just, a huge deterrent for folks,” Griggs said. “Georgia’s premiums for 2026 increased by an average of almost 200%.”
She says the enrollment numbers could drop further in April when people who haven’t paid their premiums are removed from the rolls.
These numbers reflect people who are opting out of coverage instead of continuing to auto-enroll.
Griggs warns that lower enrollment could lead to a spike in emergency room wait times in cities and more hospital closures in rural parts of the state.