If you are self-employed or own a small business, it can be challenging to find affordable health insurance options. If you are an employer with 50 full-time employees or less, you will find information below on options available to you on Georgia Access. In addition, there may be other health insurance coverage options available to you, including off-Exchange small group plans or association plans. Reach out to a certified agent or web broker to explore your options.
Self-Employed Georgians
You can enroll in health insurance coverage on Georgia Access if you are a freelancer, consultant, independent contractor, or other self-employed worker. You may be eligible for financial assistance depending on your income. You can use the income calculator (link to be included soon) to do a quick estimate to see how much financial assistance you may be eligible for prior to applying on Georgia Access.
Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP)
Georgia Access provides the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) for small businesses with up to 50 employees. SHOP plans are small group plans certified by Georgia Access. Small businesses may apply for and enroll in Georgia Access SHOP coverage for Plan Year 2025 at any time beginning November 1, 2024.
If you provide SHOP plans to your employees, you may be eligible for the federal Small Business Health Care Tax Credit for up to two consecutive years. Work with a certified agent or directly with an insurance company to enroll in SHOP coverage.
Employer Eligibility for SHOP
To be eligible to offer SHOP plans, your business or organization must have a valid Employer Identification Number (EIN) and:
- Have up to 50 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. (Georgia Access defers to the HealthCare.gov FTE Employee Calculator for determining number of FTEs.)
- Offer coverage to all FTE employees.
- Enroll at least 70% of eligible FTE employees who are offered insurance and are not otherwise covered.
- Have an office and/or employee worksite in Georgia.
Employer Eligibility for the Federal Small Business Health Care Tax Credit
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit to small businesses with less than 25 FTEs that meet certain requirements. Visit the IRS website or contact a tax professional to learn more.
If you want to claim the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit, you must complete and submit the Georgia Access SHOP Application to receive an eligibility determination from Georgia Access to file with the IRS.
Georgia Access SHOP Eligibility Application
You are only required to submit the Georgia Access Eligibility Application if you want to claim the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit. If you are not planning to claim this tax credit, or if you have already claimed it for the maximum time period of two years, you can enroll directly into SHOP plans with an agent or insurance company with an eligibility determination from Georgia Access.
Before submitting an application, use the SHOP Eligibility Screening Tool below to determine if your business may be eligible for SHOP coverage.
Georgia Access SHOP Eligibility Appeals
If you believe the eligibility determination made by Georgia Access is incorrect or you did not receive a timely determination, you have the right to file an appeal by completing and submitting the Georgia Access Appeal Request Form.
Enroll in a SHOP Plan
Small business owners should work directly with a certified agent or insurance company to compare coverage options and enroll in a SHOP plan. For 2025, Kaiser Permanente is the only insurance company that offers SHOP plans in Georgia, although other insurance companies offer off-Exchange small group plans.
Report a Change or Renew SHOP Coverage
You can work directly with your certified agent or insurance company to report a change or renew SHOP coverage. If you want to claim a second year of the Small Business Tax Credit, you must submit another application to Georgia Access to receive a SHOP eligibility determination.
For More Help
You should contact your certified agent or insurance company for information and assistance specific to your options as a small business and SHOP plans. You may reach out to the Georgia Access contact center at 888-687-1503 (TTY Line 771) for questions related to the SHOP application or the eligibility determination.
Other Options for Small Businesses
There are two other options for small businesses to provide financial assistance to their employees to purchase health insurance coverage on Georgia Access.
Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs)
An Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) is a health savings account in which you as the employer contribute funds to employees to buy health insurance on Georgia Access rather than provide traditional Employer-Sponsored Insurance (ESI). Remaining funds can be used by employees to pay for qualified medical expenses. ICHRA contributions are tax-exempt and there is no set limit. Large employers offering ICHRAs must contribute enough funding to allow their employers to buy coverage on the Exchange that meets the affordability thresholds for health coverage set by the IRS.
Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangements (QSEHRAs)
A Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA) is a health savings account available to small businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees used to purchase health insurance on Georgia Access rather than provide traditional ESI. Remaining funds can be used to pay qualified medical expenses. If you contribute funding to a QSEHRA, your employees may be able to combine the funding with Premium Tax Credits (PTCs) to make purchasing health coverage on Georgia Access more affordable. QSEHRAs do have maximum employer contribution limits set by the IRS.
Reach out to a certified agent or web broker to learn more about ICHRAs and QSEHRAs.