This week’s Courier Herald column: Reform of Georgia’s healthcare system stalled last week when the Georgia House voted down the most sweeping reforms to Georgia’s Certificate of Need (CON) laws in decades. Certificates of Need are essentially state issued monopoly grants that allow hospitals and some other health care providers to operate in a given
Congratulations to Representative-elect Lucy McBath of Georgia’s 6th District. The 6th District garnered national attention during the special election between Karen Handel and Jon Ossoff. The hotly contested battle was one of the first “test” to the Trump election. Millions of dollars poured into the district as the massive campaign began. Democrats around the Nation
Nothing like learning you’re not going to lose an additional $81 a month on a Friday afternoon. That was the good fortune of Georgia’s state retirees on UnitedHealthcare’s standard Medicare plans last Friday, according to the Department of Community Health. The board had earlier voted to raise the rate, but reversed that decision last week.
Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle and Georgia House Speaker David Ralston issued a joint statement announcing that Georgia’s Rural Hospital tax credit reached its full donation cap for the first time ever. This means that $60 million will be directed to 58 of Georgia’s most distressed rural hospitals. The efforts of former state Representative Geoff Duncan
Most of the time, I find ratings silly. However, one that I like to pay attention to is the Leapfrog Group’s semi-annual survey on hospital safety. In order to get an A rating from Leapfrog, hospitals are reviewed in 27 areas, including physician staffing in intensive care units, proper hygienic methods (think hand washing and
This week’s Courier Herald column: It’s fitting that the first day of the 2018 meeting of the Georgia General Assembly falls on the same day as the Georgia Bulldogs play for a National Championship. The last time UGA won a National title was 1980, and Notre Dame was the superpower program that stood in the
This week’s Courier Herald column: We’re now just days away from Christmas. A week later is New Years. After a brief time to give resolutions an old college try, legislators will convene in Atlanta for a statewide election year session of the Georgia General assembly. It is with these tight deadlines in mind that I
When does the debate on abortion begin? Probably not with tax bills. Certainly not with tax bills if you are NARAL, which took issue over Karen Handel’s “pushing” the new GOP tax bill*. In other words: NARAL views Handel’s seat as vulnerable and on that we agree. In a statement released ahead of Thursday’s vote
Chris Carr, Georgia’s Attorney General, approved the sale of Milledgeville’s Oconee Regional Medical Center to Navicent Health Oconee LLC on Monday afternoon, according to the Union-Recorder. There had been rumblings about Oconee Regional’s financial health for at least the past four years. Hospital staff have cited an aging population, declining government payments, increasing numbers of uninsured
According to Georgia Health News, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia will offer insurance on the Affordable Care Act exchange in 2018 in the counties that have no other options, ensuring that all Georgians who rely on the exchange to purchase health insurance will have the ability to purchase plans. Commissioner Ralph Hudgens announced the agreement
