Georgia residents have a new way to enroll in health insurance for 2025 during the upcoming Open Enrollment Period. And while we totally get that change can be scary, this shift is good news: Georgians will have expanded access to marketplace and private plans — and Stride is fully integrated, meaning you can use our streamlined shopping experience to find the right coverage at the best price.

That’s great news for 1099 workers like you: Because you likely don’t get your health insurance through your employer, you’ll benefit from Georgia’s shift to the new state-based marketplace, aptly called Georgia Access.

If you live in Georgia, your first opportunity to enroll through Georgia Access is during this year’s Open Enrollment. That’s the annual period when anyone can buy or change health insurance, which, in Georgia, runs from Nov. 1 to Jan. 15.

To help you feel prepared on Nov. 1, we’re decoding everything you need to know about Georgia Access below. Plus, we’ll explain the simplest way to get covered to make this transition as easy as possible.

What is Georgia Access?

Under the Affordable Care Act, your home state has the option to either run its own health insurance exchange or rely on the federal government’s marketplace. 

The state of Georgia previously opted to offer coverage through the federal marketplace — until now. Now they’re launching Georgia Access, the new state-based marketplace. Georgia officials hope it expands access to high-quality, affordable health insurance and decreases the amount of Georgians without insurance.

Here’s why they’re hopeful: Georgia has been able to offer more options for consumers to shop for and enroll in health insurance, and they expect that trend to continue with the launch of Georgia Access. That’s in part because Georgia Access is the first state-based exchange to partner with private-sector companies to provide expanded access to coverage options (we love to hear it!). 

Furthermore, the number of insurance companies operating in the state is increasing, leading to more than 80 percent of the counties in Georgia having access to plans from four or more companies.

How to get covered in Georgia

Having expanded access to coverage options is exciting news. But with all those additional options can come the added stress of trying to pick the right one. 

That’s where Stride comes in. We’re a certified Georgia Access enrollment partner, which means we offer all the same plans at exactly the same prices. The difference? Our smart shopping tool makes it simple to find the perfect plan for your needs and budget with personalized recommendations, filters, and side-by-side comparisons. That’s sure to be an even bigger headache-saver this year as the state transitions to the new platform — see, change doesn’t have to be scary! 

Already covered? This still applies to you. After all, you don’t want to miss out on the expanded access available through Georgia Access. Stride is integrated with the state platform, so we’ll check all the options to make sure you walk away with the right coverage for 2025. And if you’ve gotten health insurance through Stride before, nothing is going to change — you’ll enjoy the same seamless experience as before. Enter your ZIP code below to get your personalized recommendations for 2025 in five minutes or less.