I can help Georgia contractors obtain nationwide PPO coverage even in counties without a Georgia Access PPO. Here's how 1099 earners can choose insurance while navigating the state's limited Medicaid eligibility.
Hi, I'm Sam. I'm licensed to broker health insurance in 36 states, including Georgia. Whether you're building frames in Douglasville or designing websites in Athens, I can help you arrange your contractor coverage entirely by phone.
For Georgia 1099 workers, three things shape the coverage decision. Enrollment runs through Georgia Access rather than HealthCare.gov, marketplace PPO availability excludes more than half of Georgia's counties, and Medicaid provides only limited protection when income drops.
Georgia Access lists 211 individual medical plans this year. Of those, 203 are HMOs, while the other 8 are PPOs offered by one insurer across 71 of Georgia's 159 counties. In the remaining 88 counties, routine care is restricted to local networks, with out-of-network benefits generally limited to emergencies.
A private nationwide PPO is still an option throughout Georgia, and I can arrange it. Medical underwriting determines the price, while the provider network reaches beyond state borders, making it useful when your contracts do too.
Your Georgia Access credit is calculated using expected household income for the coverage year. For 1099 workers, start with gross payments and deduct legitimate expenses such as your truck, tools, materials, software, phone and insurance. Add any wages your spouse earns.
Georgia's biggest difference appears at lower incomes. The state didn't adopt the ACA Medicaid expansion. Instead, Georgia Pathways covers eligible people only up to 100% of the poverty level and requires monthly work or qualifying activity. Marketplace credits generally begin at that same threshold. Anyone earning less who doesn't qualify for Pathways can be left without either option.
To receive the credit, enroll through Georgia Access. Residents of the 71 counties offering PPOs can consider one there. In the other counties, compare each HMO's network against your doctors.
Enrollment for Georgia Access coverage in 2027 begins November 1, 2026. Apply by December 15 for a January 1 effective date. The enrollment period ends January 15, 2027.
Next step: Gather your 1099 earnings and major business costs. I'll help estimate your income and find coverage that includes your doctors.
Paying full price for an HMO can be difficult to justify when jobs take you between locations. That's when I'd compare a private nationwide PPO.
You'll complete medical questions first. The insurer can then approve coverage, deny it or issue a policy excluding a specific condition. Healthy applicants often find premiums below full Georgia Access rates while retaining a network that follows them between job sites. We'll also review each policy's particular benefits.
Next step: Let me quote nationwide PPO coverage for your household and compare it directly with your county's Georgia Access prices.
Losing a contract can bring your income close to the poverty threshold. Below that level, marketplace credits generally stop, and Georgia Pathways requires qualifying monthly work or activity. Since another contract could change your eligibility, estimate the rest of your year carefully before enrolling.
Next step: If earnings have dropped, call me before choosing coverage. We'll review exactly which programs your household qualifies for.
Georgia's state continuation coverage lasts through the rest of the month when coverage ends, followed by three additional policy months. Larger employers use COBRA instead. Losing employer insurance can also qualify you for special enrollment through Georgia Access.
Because continuation lasts such a short time, it's worth getting your replacement coverage arranged before receiving your last paycheck.
Next step: Call me a few weeks before your employment ends. We'll compare Georgia Access, continuation coverage and a private PPO.
Straight answers, no sales pitch.
Marketplace PPOs are limited to 71 Georgia counties. In other counties, I can help healthy contractors obtain a private nationwide PPO.
Not completely. Georgia hasn't adopted full expansion. Georgia Pathways has a 100% poverty-level ceiling and requires qualifying monthly work or activity.
Coverage continues for the rest of the termination month, followed by three additional policy months.
The 2027 enrollment period runs from November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027. Enroll by December 15 for coverage beginning January 1.
Share your county, the people needing insurance and approximately how much your 1099 jobs earned after expenses. I'll compare Georgia coverage routes and their prices.
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