By Maureen O’Hagan From her Baltimore dining room, Susan Goodlaxson can see her neighbor gardening across the street. But while other neighbors stop to chat, Goodlaxson just watches from the window. She uses a wheelchair, and there isn’t a single curb ramp on her block. If the 66-year-old wanted to join, she’d have to jump…
About 70 percent of Georgia adults in a new survey report they had burdensome health care costs in the past year. And an even higher percentage – 80 percent – are worried about being able to afford health care in the future. The survey of more than 950 adults was conducted from April 12 to May 3…
Story updated The devastating impact of the Delta variant helped push John Arthur Brown into action. Brown, an Atlanta photographer, had been reluctant to get vaccinated. “I was the hesitant one,’’ he said. His doubts were based on how quickly the Covid-19 vaccines were developed. He had what he called a mild case of Covid…
Georgia is at the bottom in the rate of “serious actions” taken against physicians by state medical boards, according to Public Citizen. And that’s a problem, argues Jack Bernard in a new GHN Commentary. “Georgia is not monitoring its physician quality-of-care problems as well as Kentucky,” which is the most active state in such actions,…
Tens of thousands of UnitedHealthcare members will now face higher out-of-pocket fees if they go to Wellstar Health System hospitals and doctors. The contract between the two organizations ended Sunday without a new agreement. An estimated 80,000 United members will be affected. Payment for medical services is the sticking point. United says the Wellstar demands…
Despite new federal supply limits, Georgia has received enough shipments of monoclonal antibodies to treat patients newly exposed or infected by Covid-19, state officials said Thursday. Concerns about supply shortages of these powerful antibody drugs have emerged in states that are heavy users of the treatment, including Georgia. With about 70 percent of these lab-created…
For the second time in recent months, insurance giant UnitedHealthcare is mired in a contract squabble with a large Georgia health care system. And as before, the battle to hammer out an agreement that both sides can accept is coming down to the wire. About 80,000 of the insurer’s members would face being out of…
Ernestine “Erma” Bryant likes her job, but the pay is a problem. She works in a caregiver role as a “direct support professional” in Tifton, helping people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities with basic functions such as dressing, bathing and eating. Bryant said it’s fulfilling work. “You can help people be successful — people…
Georgia had the third-highest number of people signing up for coverage during this year’s special enrollment period for the federally run health insurance exchanges. The state’s 147,000 enrollees were exceeded only by Florida and Texas among the 36 states that use the healthcare.gov enrollment platform, according to federal data recently released. Exchange enrollment — like open enrollment…
A recent surge in demand for powerful Covid antibody drugs has generated concerns about supply shortages in states that are heavy users of the treatment, including Georgia. About 70 percent of these lab-created drugs are being used in the Southeast. With that uneven distribution, federal health officials recently decided to take over supplies and allocate…