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Senators press for state action as premiums rise; advocates push SB 380 for affordability
Summary
Senators described steep premium increases and urged passage of state-level affordability measures, including SB 380 and SB 379; Democrats said state action is needed after federal subsidy changes, while other senators highlighted existing state programs and urged careful design.
ATLANTA ' Multiple senators used Thursday's floor time to spotlight rising health insurance premiums in Georgia and pressed colleagues to support state measures intended to reduce costs, including Senate Bill 380.
Senator (Speaker 16) told the chamber a constituent's premium jumped more than 12 percent and gave an example of a household moving from about $400 a month to $1,700, arguing that such increases make tax cuts irrelevant for families who cannot afford care. "When people go from paying $400 a month to $1,700 a month in premiums, you're forcing them to put a price tag on their health," the senator said.
Senate Democrats highlighted a proposal (SB 379/SB 380 on the floor) to create a state-based affordability program that would extend assistance to people up to 400% of the federal poverty line and provide free coverage for those up to 200%. A Democratic floor leader said the state has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country and urged Georgia to act.
Some senators noted existing programs and waivers, including an "Access" waiver that they said has covered hundreds of thousands of residents; others urged that any new program avoid creating excessive paperwork that reduces take-up. "Pathways has been so purposely contorted with endless paperwork... only 6% of those who could have gotten insured have managed to cut through the thicket," a senator said, while another countered that prior estimates of coverage rose as high as 700,000.
Senators also raised concrete stories presented on the floor: one single mother's premium was said to have climbed from $80 to $520, and a small business owner from Dahlonega reported a premium jump from $97 to $1,100 after subsidy changes. These anecdotal examples accompanied calls for a bipartisan approach to affordability.
Next steps: Sponsors urged urgency and asked colleagues to consider SB 380 and related proposals as the legislature debates health policy this session.
