Georgia families may soon face a healthcare cliff, as crucial federal tax credits that have kept Affordable Care Act (ACA) premiums low are set to expire at the end of 2025. Health experts, local advocates, and state officials warn that the outcome could push hundreds of thousands of Georgians off their health plans.
The premium tax credits, expanded under the 2021 American Rescue Plan and later extended through 2025 via the Inflation Reduction Act, have helped make health coverage affordable for over 1.3 million Georgians enrolled in ACA marketplace plans.
If Congress fails to act, families across the state, especially those in rural areas and among Georgia’s growing middle class, are likely to see their monthly premiums double or even triple in 2026. Further, if Congress doesn’t act soon, insurers will finalize rates assuming the expiration of the tax credit for Open Enrollment starting November 1.
For a family of four in Macon earning $60,000, premiums could jump by over $200 a month, forcing many to drop their coverage entirely.
The impacts would be especially severe for Georgians aged 50 to 64, many of whom are not yet eligible for Medicare but face some of the highest premiums on the private market. For example, a 60-year-old couple in Albany making $82,000 could see their health insurance costs spike by more than $1,345 a month without the subsidies.
In rural communities, where hospital closures and physician shortages are already a crisis, the loss of coverage could compound health disparities and destabilize already fragile care networks.
Without the tax credits, over 300,000 Georgians could lose insurance altogether because they won’t be able to afford the increase.
Last month, Senator Ossoff offered an amendment during the Senate’s budget debate to extend key ACA tax credits, but it failed to pass.
Advocacy groups are urging both parties to take a stand before families begin enrolling for 2026 coverage this November.
