State Rep. John Carson started thinking hard about distracted driving a year ago, when he heard data about car insurance rates in Georgia. Auto premiums in Georgia had just gone up 12.2 percent in 2016, a spike that led the nation. “They were increasing at an alarming rate,’’ says Carson, a Marietta Republican. Linked to…
After years of Georgia rejecting expansion of Medicaid, there has been increasing political talk about the state pursuing a federal waiver to give health insurance to more people. At the same time, though, requiring that Medicaid beneficiaries work to retain their coverage has picked up momentum nationally, with the Trump administration allowing Kentucky to pursue…
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle drew attention to the growing chorus of state leaders calling for expanded access to health care in Georgia when he released a statement last week outlining his perspective on a possible state Medicaid waiver. By refusing to expand Medicaid, Georgia’s leaders have for years let the federal government keep funds — $12 billion…
The mental health needs of many Georgia children are not being addressed, primarily because of a lack of professionals to treat them, according to a report released Monday. The report from Voices for Georgia’s Children cites a “severe shortage’’ of child and adolescent psychiatrists statewide. It also reported that 76 of the state’s 159 counties…
Acting on the first day of the 2018 Georgia General Assembly session, a task force of state lawmakers approved recommendations Monday to create two centers that its leaders say will develop data and solutions to improve health care in Georgia. Led by Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, the Georgia Health Care Reform Task Force proposed a Health Coordination…
The federal decision to end “net neutrality’’ rules has sparked concerns about potential damage to rural health care. The central question: Will repeal of the rules harm the burgeoning telemedicine movement in Georgia and other states? The Federal Communications Commission voted in December to scrap the net neutrality regulations it created a few years ago that…
Georgia legislative sessions during election years tend to be quick and fairly quiet, without a lot of “heavy-lift” proposals being passed. The 2018 General Assembly session may follow that trend. Still, House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) addressed several health care issues Thursday that may at least draw interest during the 2018 General Assembly session: Certificate of…
1. The Affordable Care Act rode a political roller coaster. The law also known as Obamacare survived multiple attempts to repeal it in Congress. But it did not come out unscathed. The White House cut marketing and enrollment time in the ACA exchanges, and halted cost-sharing payments to health insurers selling exchange policies. Then, in late December,…
An influential task force of Georgia House members has approved a set of bold proposals to bolster rural health care in the state. The recommendations from the House Rural Development Council include expanding insurance coverage through a Medicaid “waiver’’ project and making a fundamental change in the state’s licensing laws known as Certificate of Need…
A Senate study committee Monday recommended the state allow advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) broader medical authority if they work in rural, underserved counties. Under current state law, nurse practitioners and other advanced nurses in Georgia can prescribe medications only under a collaborative agreement with a physician. The study committee’s recommendations would allow these nurses…