Gone With the Wind: Avoiding High Georgia Health Insurance Rates
Finding affordable, quality Georgia health insurance isn’t as easy as one might think. Why? By and large, the Peach State has chosen to step aside where regulation is concerned and let the health insurance market in Georgia sort itself out. And while that’s been good news for health insurance providers and the health care industry in the Empire State of the South, it hasn’t always served as a boon for consumers. Here is a quick overview of the state of health insurance in Georgia, as well as some proven techniques and tips for finding a reasonable Georgia health insurance quote that provides the health care coverage you need and deserve.
Georgia Health Insurance: A Quick Overview
To help put things in perspective, here are some statistics from industry watchdogs and leaders regarding Georgia’s health care system and how it compares to the rest of the nation. According to the Commonwealth Fund’s 2009 State Scorecard on Health Care Performance, the state of health care in the Peach State is improving, though there is still a lot of work to be done. The Commonwealth Fund’s comprehensive evaluation of all 50 states and the District of Columbia ranked Georgia 38th out of a possible 51 in 2009, placing Georgia’s health care system in the bottom 25% when compared to the rest of the nation. As bleak as that may sound, it is a noticeable improvement over the 44th place ranking that Georgia earned in 2007, so things do seem to be looking up.
What to Expect from a Georgia Health Insurance Quote
How does all that affect the going rate for a health insurance in the Peach State? Despite sporting a health care system that ranks in the bottom 25% nationally, Georgians still pay more on average than the rest of the country for group health insurance coverage. On the other hand, while those who purchase independent market health insurance pay quite a bit more per year than group plan participants, independent individual insurance rates in Georgia are considerably lower than the national average. Here are the numbers so that you know what to expect as you begin to explore your health care options:
- Group Health Single Rates —Out-of-pocket expenses for group health insurance in Georgia for a single individual averaged $972 per year compared to the national average of $882, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).
- Group Health Family Rates —Out-of-pocket expenses for group health insurance in Georgia for families averaged $3,814 per year compared to the national average of $3,394, according to the KFF.
- Independent Market Single Rates —Out-of-pocket expenses for independent market health insurance in Georgia for a single individual averaged $2,419 per year compared to the national average of $2,613, according to the Association of Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).
- Independent Market Family Rates —Out-of-pocket expenses for independent market health insurance in Georgia for families averaged $4,668 per year compared to the national average of $5,799, according to the AHIP.
Putting a Dent in your Health Insurance Costs in Georgia
While it’s true that less regulation can translate to higher rates as you weigh the value of each Georgia health insurance quote, the free market affords consumers an equal amount of freedom in seeking out the best deals possible. Considering the competitive nature of Georgia health insurance, the best way to work the system in your favor is to use a free online insurance quote provider like NetQuote.com to help find a reasonable Georgia health insurance quote for you. With an online quote provider you’ll get a number of free quotes at the click of a mouse, affording you the luxury of comparing policies, providers, plans, and rates, on the way to finding a peach of a health insurance policy for you and your family in the Empire State of the South.
