Cover Georgia Blog | October 2026
Coverage opens the door to mental health care. Parity keeps it open.
More than 1.2 million Georgians have no health care coverage, one of the highest uninsured rates in the nation. Many are adults with low incomes who fall into Georgia’s health insurance coverage gap. They earn too much to qualify for Medicaid under Georgia’s current eligibility rules but too little to afford a health plan through Georgia Access, Georgia’s state-based ACA marketplace.
The coverage outlook is also worsening: Federal cuts enacted last year and the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits are projected to leave nearly half a million more Georgians uninsured by 2034. Meanwhile, monthly premiums for Georgia Access plans are expected to rise in 2027.
For someone living with depression, anxiety, or a substance use disorder, having no coverage can mean putting off a screening, stopping treatment, or going without help altogether. Closing the coverage gap through Medicaid expansion would give hundreds of thousands of Georgians an option for coverage and a way to get mental health care before a concern becomes a crisis.
Coverage is only the first step
Even with insurance, getting mental health care isn’t always simple. Federal and Georgia law require most health plans to cover mental health and substance use care the same way that they cover physical health care. When a plan falls short of that standard, Georgians need to know their rights and how to take action when they encounter barriers to care.
To mark National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month, we asked our partners at NAMI Georgia, the Georgia chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, to explain what mental health parity means and how to report potential parity violations.
A message from NAMI Georgia
Mental health screenings can help identify concerns early and connect people to care before symptoms become more serious. Normalizing routine emotional check-ins can also help reduce stigma and make mental health care a regular part of overall wellness.
Mental health parity means that health plans must provide mental health and substance use care on terms comparable to physical health care.
Put simply, getting treatment for depression or addiction should not be more difficult than getting care for diabetes or cancer.
Even with these protections, many people still face barriers to care because parity requirements are not consistently enforced. Reporting barriers to care can help hold health insurance companies accountable and strengthen access to needed services, including mental health screenings.
Take Action: Want to learn more about mental health parity in Georgia or file a complaint about a parity violation? Visit NAMI Georgia to learn about your rights and report potential parity violations.
Coverage and access go together
Coverage opens the door to mental health care, but people also need to be able to walk through it. Medicaid expansion would help more Georgians get covered, while stronger enforcement of parity protections would help ensure insurance doesn’t create unnecessary barriers to treatment. Both matter for making mental health care more accessible.
Share your story
Have you or someone you love struggled to receive mental health or substance use care because you could not afford coverage or your insurance denied care? Or has having insurance made treatment possible?
Your experience can help lawmakers understand the challenges Georgians face when they cannot obtain coverage or access the care their coverage should provide.