A new federal initiative on Medicaid could wind up altering Georgia’s waiver proposal on extending coverage to low-income adults. The Trump administration said Thursday that it’s encouraging states to seek a cap on federal Medicaid funding for covering working-age adults, in exchange for more state autonomy in running that program. The new option would not…
A key state senator said Tuesday that he is optimistic a compromise plan on easing the problem of surprise medical billing will finally pass the Georgia General Assembly this year. Sen. Ben Watson (R-Savannah), who chairs the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, told a breakfast gathering that the Governor’s Office has been involved in…
Three months after their previous contract ended, Northeast Georgia Health System and Georgia’s largest insurer reached an agreement Monday on a new deal that restores network status to thousands of consumers. The long-running contract dispute had attracted the interest of major state lawmakers and had unnerved many patients of the Gainesville-based system who have Anthem…
A Piedmont Healthcare joint venture has acquired nine more urgent care centers, expanding its network to 26, with another set to open this week. Piedmont Urgent Care by WellStreet has purchased Summit Urgent Care, a move that is just one sign of the explosive growth of urgent care as a convenient, walk-in choice for patients with…
From waivers to toxic pollution to disease outbreaks, Georgia experienced an eventful year in health care. Here is our list of the Top 10 health care stories in 2019. Let us know what we got right – and what we missed! 1. Gov. Brian Kemp unveiled proposals to offer more people Medicaid coverage and improve private…
The week before Christmas usually isn’t packed with health care news. ‘Tis the season for health care experts – and journalists – to ease off the gas and prepare for the holidays. Not so this year. Friday alone brought some major developments in Georgia. The afternoon began with a state board’s expected passage of Gov….
It’s the last Friday before Christmas, but even in this holiday season, some major official business continues. Today, a state agency’s board is expected to approve Gov. Brian Kemp’s proposal for changing Medicaid in Georgia. In a GHN Commentary, Kemp says this waiver plan, and another to revise rules for the health insurance exchange, would…
By Gov. Brian Kemp Georgia is experiencing historic job growth and unmatched economic opportunity in every corner of the state. Participation in the job market is at record highs, unemployment recently dropped to a 20-year low, and we were named the “#1 State for Business” for the seventh year in a row. But even with…
A Georgia Senate study committee is recommending some changes in the state’s strict rules governing advanced practice nurses and physician assistants. But the panel reached a split vote Tuesday on two issues: authority to prescribe narcotics and authority to order imaging tests. It’s a sign that, as in past years, getting such changes through the…
Story updated A state agency’s board is expected to vote soon on Gov. Brian Kemp’s waiver proposal to give more Georgians health coverage. The plan has generated many comments during the run-up to the vote, with most of them favoring Medicaid expansion rather than what the governor is seeking. In a new GHN Commentary, Dr….