Georgia Access: How Enrolling Works and How a Licensed Agent Can Help

Georgia moved off the federal platform in two steps. Georgia Access launched on November 1, 2023 as a state-based exchange that still used the federal platform, and on November 1, 2024 it became a full state-based exchange. Since then, GeorgiaAccess.gov is where Georgians shop for, compare and enroll in Marketplace coverage.

The plans themselves still follow Affordable Care Act rules, with the same Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers explained in our metal tier guide. Help paying premiums still comes from federal premium tax credits. What changed is the front door: the website, the contact center and the rules for certifying the agents and assisters who help you are now Georgia's.

Georgia Access lists four ways to enroll: its own consumer portal, a certified agent, a web broker, or an insurance company directly. It says your eligibility, your financial help and your plan's price stay the same whichever way you choose.

The consumer portal at GeorgiaAccess.gov suits people who are comfortable comparing plans and estimating their income on their own. A certified agent gives personal help online, by phone or in person. Web brokers are private companies certified by Georgia Access that let you shop online, and many have certified agents on staff. You can also enroll straight through an insurance company if you already know which company you want. A paper application exists too, though Georgia Access says online enrollment is faster.

To help Georgians through Georgia Access, an agent must hold an active Georgia accident and sickness license, complete Georgia Access certification training for the plan year, and be appointed with the insurance companies whose plans they enroll people in.

In practice an agent helps you estimate your household income for the year, sees which plans are offered in your county, checks whether your doctors and prescriptions work with a plan, and submits the application with you. Georgia Access describes the difference plainly: agents recommend plans, often from specific insurers, while its Navigators and Certified Application Counselors help you understand every option without endorsing a particular plan. Both are listed in its Find Local Assistance search.

Alexander James is a licensed independent insurance agent who works with Georgia clients by phone. There is no obligation to enroll, and Georgia Access says the plan price is the same whether or not an agent helps.

Georgia Access lists Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage from November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027. December 15, 2026 is the last day to enroll for coverage that starts January 1, 2027.

If you already have a Georgia Access plan, Georgia Access re-enrolls you automatically ahead of Open Enrollment and sends a notice. If your insurance company is not offering plans in your area for 2027, you will need to choose a new plan yourself, and choosing by December 15, 2026 keeps coverage continuous from January 1. Our guide to ACA Open Enrollment explains what to review each year.

When you ask for financial help on a Georgia Access application, it first checks whether anyone in your household may be eligible for Medicaid or PeachCare for Kids and sends those cases to the Division of Family and Children Services. Everyone else is checked for premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions.

Premium tax credits require an estimated household income above 100% of the federal poverty level, and they are based on your income estimate, so the credit you take each month is reconciled when you file your taxes. Cost-sharing reductions, which lower deductibles and copays, are for households between 100% and 250% of the federal poverty level who choose a Silver plan. Our guide to how ACA premium tax credits work walks through the calculation.

Below 100% of the federal poverty level, Georgia's public programs are the place to look: Medicaid, PeachCare for Kids, and Georgia Pathways to Coverage, a separate Medicaid program with its own rules. Georgia Access says you apply for those through Georgia Gateway.

Outside Open Enrollment, Georgians generally need a qualifying life event, such as losing other coverage, moving, marriage or a new child. Depending on the event, Georgia Access gives 60 or 90 days to enroll.

Georgia Access extends the window to 90 days for people losing Medicaid or PeachCare for Kids coverage. You may be asked for documents that show the life event, so it helps to gather them early. Our guide to ACA Special Enrollment Periods covers the common triggers, and health insurance between jobs covers one of the most common situations.

For application, financial assistance and enrollment questions, the Georgia Access contact center is at 1-888-687-1503 (TTY 711), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, with longer hours during Open Enrollment. For Georgia's state offices, program contacts and dates, see the Georgia Access guide for Georgia, or start from the Georgia state guide.