Georgia Health Insurance
Like all other states, Georgia health insurance laws comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which was passed by the federal government in 1996. However, just because the government is beginning to help consumers get their health care needs covered doesn’t mean that it is easy to find health insurance in Georgia.
Whether you live in a big city like Atlanta or a rural area of the state, finding Georgia health insurance can be difficult. Before you start exploring your options, make sure you understand your rights.
Georgia Health Insurance Options
The Georgia Department of Insurance regulates all health insurance in the state. You have two main choices – you can get your health insurance from your employer, or you can pay for your own health insurance.
It’s easy to be covered by a group policy if your employer offers it. However, since not every job comes with health care benefits, you might have to purchase an individual Georgia health insurance policy. The problem with that is, by law, Georgia health insurance companies do not have to accept your application. If you have preexisting conditions, the insurance company can easily reject your application. There are only two exceptions.
- First, if you were covered at your job for over 6 months and are going to lose your coverage, you might be eligible for a policy called a conversion plan.
- The other scenario that can help you is if you were covered under a group plan or other health insurance continuously for 18 months and you are not eligible anymore for Georgia COBRA coverage.
The good thing about Georgia health insurance is that there are a number of state-run options to help you even if you’ve been rejected in the past. These include the following programs:
- PeachCare for Kids
- Georgia is the Peach state, and PeachCare is a program that helps parents cover their kids health insurance needs. Children up to the age of 19 are eligible if their parents do not make a lot of money.
- Georgia Medicaid
- The Department of Community health in Georgia runs the state Medicaid program, which helps low-income families and individuals get health care coverage.
In addition, if you’re not sure how to go about applying to the right program or finding out your eligibility, you can talk to a counselor at GeorgiaCares. This program helps consumes understand Medicare and Medicaid, as well as other programs.
This is part of the Georgia State Health Insurance Assistances Program (SHIP). The counselors here can also assist those who need help with Georgia health insurance in regards to paying medical bills, choosing policies, understanding your health, and more. Check out this program today to learn more about your Georgia health insurance rights.
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