Action needed to increase adult vaccinations

Action needed to increase adult vaccinations

Everybody knows that kids need “baby shots” – immunizations that protect against formerly common childhood diseases. The shots are required for school entry, so most children are up to date by the time that they are 5 years old. But what many of their parents and grandparents don’t realize is that adults need immunizations as…

With cancer research making giant strides, it’s wrong to cut budgets

With cancer research making giant strides, it’s wrong to cut budgets

We are at a point in the fight against cancer where decades of discoveries are translating into new diagnostic and treatment tools at an accelerated rate. Unfortunately, this comes at a time when the agencies that fund cancer research face dire cutbacks. Because Congress must make difficult decisions on what to cut, I went to Washington…

Georgia’s unhealthy regions are whole state’s responsibility

Georgia’s unhealthy regions are whole state’s responsibility

The recent closing of Calhoun Memorial Hospital in tiny Arlington, Ga., comes not just as another body blow to health and health care in impoverished areas of rural Georgia — but as a dagger to the heart of hopes for any kind of economic development or improvement. It also adds more weight to an anchor…

Georgia has a ‘dental desert,’ but hygienists want it to bloom

Georgia has a ‘dental desert,’ but hygienists want it to bloom

Looking at the lush greenery of the Georgia mountains or the enticing beaches and barrier islands along the Georgia coast, few people would describe the state as a desert, except for the thousands of Georgians who lack dental insurance or funds for basic preventive dental care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)…

Whistleblowers are our best weapon against fraud

Whistleblowers are our best weapon against fraud

In the late 1980s, total health care fraud recoveries from whistleblower lawsuits averaged $5 million to $10 million a year. Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice recovered a record $3.06 billion in health care fraud settlements and judgments — more than 80 percent of it in suits initiated by whistleblowers. That says two things:…

Don’t make scapegoats of people with mental illness

Don’t make scapegoats of people with mental illness

Our nation is now engaged in a discussion about what to do in the wake of recent mass shootings. I believe such a discussion is essential to the overall well-being of our country. Part of this national conversation is about legislating more gun control. But the current emphasis of the discussions, in many instances, is…

Medicaid expansion – doing nobody a favor

Medicaid expansion – doing nobody a favor

Medicaid has several components, but at its core it is a health insurance program for the poor. States can differ on eligibility for the program, but most provide for those below the poverty level. Federal health reform envisions expanding Medicaid to those earning up to 138 percent of the poverty level (about $25,000 for a family…

Medicaid expansion should go forward

Medicaid expansion should go forward

Last week, I sent a report documenting the many benefits of accepting federal dollars to expand Medicaid to Gov. Nathan Deal from the Georgia chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP). We represent 2,676 internal medicine physician specialists and medical students. I spoke for our patients when I asked Gov. Deal in a letter…

Now that health reform is inevitable, what can Georgia firms expect?

Now that health reform is inevitable, what can Georgia firms expect?

With the 2012 elections behind us, the biggest immediate policy question many Georgia businesses face is determining how to make their way forward in a health care reform landscape. That landscape appears stable in the near term, but fundamental changes are ahead. Based on the election outcome, which ensured that the 2010 Affordable Care Act…

A simple, fair way to reduce health costs

A simple, fair way to reduce health costs

Health care costs continue to spiral upward for all of us, and the latest studies show a primary cause is the vast number of unnecessary tests and procedures that doctors order to keep from being sued. This is known as defensive medicine. A study commissioned by Patients for Fair Compensation, released in July, showed that Georgia’s…