Georgia scraps window-shopping period for 2027 ACA plans

This time last year, Georgians looking to browse their health insurance options under the Affordable Care Act could log on to a state-run website to review plans and prices ahead of open enrollment.

This year, the state is not doing the so-called window-shopping period for 2027 plans.

That’s according to a spokesperson for the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, which oversees Georgia Access, the state’s ACA exchange. (The ACA is also known as Obamacare.)

He did not provide a reason.

“This year, due to some changes, we are unable to put forward a window-shopping period before open enrollment,” said Garrison Bennett, press secretary for Insurance Commissioner John King.

Scrapping the window-shopping period is an unusual development, said Laura Colbert, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Georgians for a Healthy Future. She said it has been a standard part of the calendar since the Obamacare marketplace was launched more than a decade ago.

“I think given the premium volatility, it’s definitely not helpful for consumers to not have the extra time,” said Colbert, though she noted that many people tend to wait until closer to the open enrollment deadline before settling on their plans.

“We want them to have as much time as they need, but I wouldn’t say it’s a sky-is-falling moment,” she added.

Colbert noted ongoing lawsuits targeting some ACA regulatory changes have created confusion and could be holding up planning for state and federal healthcare agencies.

Open enrollment begins Nov. 1 on georgiaaccess.gov. It runs through Jan. 15.

Major premium increases expected

When 2027 prices are posted, Georgians currently enrolled in Obamacare plans are expected to see steep premium increases.

A list of proposed increases published in August by the Georgia Recorder showed most insurers raising their prices upward of 20% compared with 2026 prices. But those numbers weren’t yet finalized.

This is the second year in a row with projected double-digit premium hikes for customers.

Last year’s increase, along with the expiration of enhanced COVID-era subsidies, prompted a mass exodus of many low- and middle-income Georgians from the Obamacare marketplace as monthly premiums in some cases doubled or tripled.

Last fall, there were roughly 1.3 million Georgians on the ACA exchange. As of the beginning of September, that number stood at roughly 900,000, according to the Office of the Insurance Commissioner. The change represents a roughly 30% drop.

While some of those people could have started new jobs that provide employer-sponsored healthcare plans, most are believed to be going without health insurance.

Hospitals and medical providers from all over the state have reported a surge of uninsured patients arriving in their emergency rooms, and more patients seeking to cover their bills out of pocket.

In a half-dozen mostly rural counties, the dropoff between 2025 and 2026 has topped 50%, according to data from the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals. In Cook County, nestled between Tifton and Valdosta, a full two-thirds of people who had an Obamacare plan for 2025 dropped it the following year, according to the alliance.

More Georgians are expected to drop their healthcare coverage this year because of the rising prices.