Welcome to Georgia Access! Certified Application Counselors (CACs) play an important role in assisting uninsured residents across the state, particularly in underserved communities.
To assist Georgia consumers on the Exchange for 2025, you must be an employee or volunteer with one of the approved Georgia Access Certified Application Counselor Designated Organizations (CDOs), hold a Georgia Access Specialist License, and complete the Plan Year (PY) 2025 Georgia Access certification training and final assessment.
Certified Application Counselor Designated Organizations (CDOs)
Partnerships with community organizations are vital to reaching uninsured residents across the state, especially in underserved communities. The Georgia Access CAC Program is run by Georgia Access, a division within Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire (OCI). Organizations must apply and be selected to become a Georgia Access CDO. CDOs do not receive grant funding.
CDOs are responsible for overseeing the work of affiliated CACs, including training, day-to-day management, and monitoring certified CAC activities. CACs are individuals who are certified and licensed by the state to support consumers with applying for health coverage.
The twenty-two Georgia Access CDOs for Plan Year (PY) 2025 are:
- Athens Neighborhood Health Center
- Birth Defects Research & Education Foundation
- Center for Pan Asian Community Services
- Crisp Regional Hospital
- Curtis V. Cooper Primary Health Care
- DisABILITY Link
- Diversity Health Center
- Eligibility Screening Services
- First Choice Primary Care
- Georgia Highlands Medical Services
- Georgia Mountains Health Services
- JC Lewis Primary Health Care Center
- McKinney Medical Center
- MedCura Health
- MedLink Georgia
- POWER Atlanta
- Primary Care of Southwest Georgia
- Ser Familia
- South Central Primary Care Center
- St. Joseph’s Candler Health Systems
- The Family Health Centers of Georgia
- The Medical Center of Central Georgia
Certified Application Counselors (CACs)
CACs are individuals who are certified and licensed by the state to support consumers with applying for health coverage on Georgia Access.
CAC certification training for PY 2025 is available at certification.georgiaaccess.gov.
To learn more about license requirements for CACs, visit Navigators and Georgia Access Specialists (CACs) | Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Certified Application Counselor Designated Organization (CDO)?
A CDO is an organization selected by the State of Georgia to support CAC activities. CDOs have three main roles:
- Supervise CACs.
- Provide quarterly performance metrics to the state.
- Receive marketing toolkits and information for consumers.
How can an organization become a certified CDO?
Organizations must apply annually to become a Georgia Access CDO. For PY 2025, CDO applications were closed on September 24, 2024. CDO applications for PY 2026 will be posted in summer of 2025.
Who is a CAC?
A CAC is an individual who is certified and licensed by the State of Georgia to support consumers with applying for health coverage. CACs are also referred to as assisters. CACs are required to be affiliated with a CDO, either as an employee or volunteer. CACs provide unbiased support and educate consumers on healthcare options. Like certified Navigators, CACs are not permitted to advise consumers on which health plan is best.
What are the requirements for CACs to participate in Georgia Access?
To assist Georgia consumers as a CAC on Georgia Access, individuals must be an employee or volunteer with one of the approved Georgia Access CDOs, hold a Georgia Access Specialist License (more information on the OCI website here), and complete the PY 2025 Georgia Access certification training and final assessment.
The Georgia Access Specialist licensing requirements are similar to the Navigator licensing requirements. The State of Georgia created a separate license for PY 2024 to better track licenses between CACs and Navigators. CACs can begin the licensure/renewal process at any time, but they must complete certification training before obtaining a license.
How do CACs obtain Georgia Access certification?
To obtain Georgia Access certification, the following steps must be taken:
- Begin the certification course, which is available at certification.georgiaaccess.gov.
- Set aside approximately three hours to complete the course.
- Achieve a minimum score of 80% to pass the final assessment; a maximum of three attempts will be permitted.
- Download and save a PDF copy of the certification certificate.
Click here for a comprehensive list of questions and answers.
Resources
- For questions about the Georgia Access CDO Program, reach out to CDOs@georgiaaccess.ga.gov.
- Georgia Access Contact Center for Partners 1-888-312-4237 (TTY Line 711)