Georgia officials behind the state's plan to replace the ACA marketplace with a privatized health insurance alternative pushed back against CMS' request for more financial information regarding the plan's waiver.
A July 2 letter signed by Governor's Office of Health Strategy and Coordination Director Grant Thomas said the agency's request "came as a surprise" and did not align with the waiver process, according to Georgia Health News.
The waiver was initially approved by HHS under the Trump administration in November 2020. However, newly appointed CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure told Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in June the state hadn't "quantified the size of the expected investment by the private sector nor indicated any specific commitments by the private sector to engage in outreach and marketing," the Albany Herald reported.
The deadline to submit an updated waiver application was July 3.