Although healthcare insurance is very basic, there are around 1.7 million residents in the state of Georgia who go about their day without the benefit of any healthcare insurance of some form. The figure is quite alarming, considering that there are over 8 million people in that state if we go by the latest census figures. This only means that an estimated 21% of the population is uninsured (as opposed to uninsurable). Of the uninsured, 71% are adults who are earning income, or are dependents of income earning adults.
Georgia’s states officials have admitted that the level of the uninsured in the population has hit crisis level. The problem actually stems from the prohibitive healthcare costs in that state. Thankfully, there are already proposed legislations which, when approved, would make healthcare more accessible to the uninsured.
Lt. Governor Casey Cagle announced on January 31, 2008 the introduction of the Georgia Health Marketplace and the Healthcare Safety Net, which are, at the very basic healthcare initiatives by the state’s legislature.
Once these are approved, the Georgia Health Marketplace and the Healthcare Safety Net is seen to significantly cut the cost of Atlanta health insurance or, more precisely, Atlanta’s healthcare, by creating simple free-market system. Currently, Georgians have to put up with high healthcare costs and very few options being available. While there is no lack of health insurance carriers offering the whole range of health insurance programs, very few offer affordable HMO or PPO programs which are that affordable.
Under Healthcare Safety Net program, patients with non-emergency symptoms are taken to community-based clinics managed by volunteers instead of hospital emergency rooms. Under the program, communities can work at establishing of a Safety Net Clinic by applying for a $30,000 partnership planning grant. The grant can be used to build facilities. Existing clinics that serve indigent patients may apply for an implementation grant of up to $150,000 annually, with a year’s renewal option of $50,000, to run the clinic.
The Georgia Health Marketplace (GHM) is an online clearing house Georgians can check information on health insurance, compare health insurance products offered by different insurers, and buy healthcare plans.
The GHM represents the different healthcare plan providers, healthcare professional groups, and state-subsidized healthcare plans. The GHM should make it easier for individuals and small businesses to access information and buy products. Education is the key importance of GHM, and encouraging people to get themselves insured.
There is certainly no lack of healthcare providers and insurance agents in Georgia. Most of them you can find by doing only a Google search. The ideal health insurance plan should address the long term healthcare of Georgia’s residents, and to help them with the cost of sickness and accidents.
Of all the known health insurance programs, the most accessible, for employed people at least, are HMO plans. Precisely because of the Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973, employers with 25 full-time employees in their payroll to offer HMO or healthcare options to employees. If you feel that you can’t afford to pay for a healthcare policy out from your own pocket, you can consider being employed by a big company.
