Report urges Medicaid expansion to combat Georgia’s HIV crisis

Expanding Medicaid would give coverage to thousands of uninsured HIV patients in Georgia and provide millions of dollars of additional services for people infected with the virus, a recently released study says. The expansion of Medicaid, as outlined in the Affordable Care Act, has been adopted in 38 states, but not in Georgia. Republican elected…

Judge extends order, keeping Northside patients in Anthem network till spring

 By Andy Miller and Ariel Hart A Fulton County judge Friday extended a reprieve in the contract dispute between Northside Hospital and Anthem until April 15, delaying for a second time the need for thousands of patients to switch doctors. Northside patients who have Anthem insurance have been caught in the middle of the battle between the…

Georgia bill aims to limit profits of Medicaid managed-care plans

By Andy Miller and Rebecca Grapevine Georgia lawmakers will consider a bill that could force the state’s Medicaid managed-care insurers to repay millions of dollars if their spending on medical care doesn’t reach a certain threshold. The bipartisan bill, introduced Jan. 26 by the powerful Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, a Republican, is focused on improving the…

Anthem names new chief in Georgia amid dispute with Northside

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has named a new president of its Georgia operation just days before a possible contract cutoff with Northside Hospital. Robert Bunch, a longtime Anthem official, replaces Pam Stahl, who has taken a job in another industry, the insurer said late last week. The leadership change comes amid a flurry…

What the Kemp budget has for health care — and what it doesn’t

Extending Medicaid coverage for women who have given birth. Higher pay for physicians serving Georgia’s poor. More money for rural health care. In many ways, health care is getting a boost in Gov. Brian Kemp’s budget. Kemp’s proposed budget envisions a record $30.2 billion in state spending next year. The highest-profile items include $5,000 pay raises…

Anthem seeks to halt court order continuing Northside contract

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has filed a legal motion to end a court’s temporary restraining order that, at least temporarily, has kept Northside Hospital facilities in the giant insurer’s network. Northside Hospital was granted an injunction by Fulton County Superior Court just before its Anthem contract was scheduled to be severed Jan. 1. That…

Kaiser Permanente gets a new Georgia president

Kaiser Permanente has appointed Pamela Shipley as the new regional president for the organization’s Georgia operation. Shipley comes from Sharecare, a virtual health IT company based in Atlanta, where she was chief operating officer. She is replacing Jim Simpson, who is taking another position in the Kaiser Permanente organization. Kaiser Permanente, a California-based nonprofit managed…

Covid hospitalizations soar in Atlanta area; Northside wins a round in court vs. Anthem

Major happenings in health care didn’t cease over the holidays. The news, in fact, exploded – in both familiar and surprising directions, including an unusual twist in the Northside Hospital vs. Anthem contract dispute. It started, of course, with the latest on the Covid-19 pandemic. The state last week reported daily totals of new Covid…

Potential remedies to stubborn problems in rural health care

Part 5 of a Special Report The concept isn’t exactly new. Free-standing ERs — affiliated with hospitals but not physically connected to them — have cropped up in many areas, generally in suburban or urban locations where large numbers of local residents have private insurance. They provide emergency medical services apart from a regular hospital…

What’s next for Georgia as Medicaid waiver requirements rejected?

The timing of the waiver decision, right before Christmas, drew a quick, angry response from state Republican leaders. Gov. Brian Kemp’s spokeswoman noted that the federal health officials’ announced rejection of the state’s proposed work requirements for its Medicaid waiver came two days before Christmas. “They attempted to hide behind the holiday,’’ said Katie Byrd….