Georgia: Preliminary avg. unsubsidized 2024 #ACA rate changes: +15.0%

Georgia's health department doesn't publish their annual rate filings publicly, but they don't hide them either; I was able to acquire pretty much everything via a simple FOIA request. Huge kudos to the GA OCI folks!

Unfortunately, it looks like less than half of Georgia's small group market carriers have submitted their filings (alternately, it's conceivable that the other have have pulled out of the G small group market, though I highly doubt that). Only four of the eleven carriers offering policies in 2023 have filings included in the package sent to me by GA OCI. Not sure what that's about.

In any event, Georgia's individual market has grown dramatically over the past year (813,000 people vs. 660,000 a year ago), but the requested 2024 rate filings are pretty ugly, ranging from a somewhat reasonable 6.4% to as high as 27.7% for Cigna (ouch). The weighted average overall is just over 15% even.

Some of this is likely related to the ongoing #MedicaidUnwinding process; some may be related to Georgia's launch of their controversial, partial Medicaid expansion program; and some may be connected to them moving to their own state-based ACA exchange. Regardless of the reasons, a 15% hike is a 15% hike...assuming the rates are approved: