Georgia lawmakers weigh action on rising insurance costs

Lawmakers might address rising insurance costs in the 2026 legislative session after hearing from experts and interested parties at committee meetings.

The House of Representatives’ Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Insurance Rates met Dec. 18 for a final time in Duluth.

Robert Hoyt of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business told lawmakers that Georgia ranked 50th, among the 50 states and District of Columbia, for profitability for insurance companies last year.

Low profits can reduce competition and cause insurers to leave the market, Hoyt said.

“Less availability can lead to higher prices,” he said.

Rep. Matt Reeves, R-Duluth, who chairs the study committee, told the Capitol Beat that the legislature will be considering prices, profits and the way claims are processed in the legislative session.

“I think it’ll be a robust session on insurance,” he said.

Lawmakers on the committee heard several complaints from individuals to auto repair companies to medical nonprofits.

Rachael Auyer, of the Georgia Society of Orthotists and Prosthetists, said a client of hers lost her leg below the knee in an automobile accident, and the insurance company denied her a running prosthesis and a shower prosthesis as not medically necessary.

“Physicians don’t determine medical necessity… Insurance companies do,” she said.

The committee has not released a final report concerning its findings and recommendations.