Lynette Broughton, has been shopping for health insurance since open enrollment got underway on November 1. Simply put, the math simply doesn’t add up.
Broughton pays $1,895 a month for an apartment in the city for herself and her child. Until recently, her monthly health-insurance premium was $28. Now she has learned her new premium will be $1,717.19 a month — an increase she says she cannot absorb.
“I used to have UnitedHealthcare. Now it’s Oscar, where the prices jumped dramatically,” Broughton said.
Looking for help, she visited Power Atlanta, a newly launched and the only approved health-care navigator in Georgia for the current open-enrollment period.
“We’re doing about 30 to 50 appointments a week, and we’re hoping to bring more people in to match the demand,” said Chidimma Adogu, programs director at Power Atlanta.
Broughton said she feared her premiums would rise, and does not believe her family will have health insurance for 2026.
“Nope. No way,” she replied. “I have no choice. I can’t pay that premium. It’s way over my budget.”
Olivia Jarrett, a health-care navigator at Power Atlanta, said the organization cannot guide clients to specific plans.
“But can explain available resources and connect them with a insurance agent,” said Jarrett.
Adogu said Broughton’s shock is not uncommon.
“They mostly communicate that rising health-insurance premiums are the cherry on top of a lot of other things going on — rising food costs, rising housing costs, lack of availability of fresh produce,” Adogu said. “They really don’t know how to navigate it.”
Broughton said her current plan, which runs through the end of the year, is already limited.
“The plan I have now, you can only go to one hospital, and only certain doctors take the coverage,” she said.
She hopes lawmakers in Washington will find a solution, though she is not optimistic.
“There’s too many battles out there. It’s too much back and forth,” Broughton said. “I don’t know who to believe or what to believe right about now.”
December 15, 2025: This is the last day to enroll into a plan for coverage starting January 1, 2026.
January 15, 2026: Open enrollment ends. This is the last day to enroll in 2026 coverage, beginning February 1, 2026.
