Gainesville-based health system shields patients from financial fallout after contract lapses

With a contract impasse in its third week, a Gainesville-based health system is spending millions of dollars so that thousands of patients are not having to pay more when visiting the system’s doctors and hospitals. Northeast Georgia Health System’s contract with Anthem ended Sept. 30, which means that since then, Georgians with Anthem insurance have been…

Georgia declines in health ranking for women and children

A recent report ranks Georgia 40th among states on the health of women and children, down three spots from its 2018 ranking. The 2019 United Health Foundation report said among Georgia’s challenges are its high percentage of uninsured women, its low rate of prenatal care before the third trimester, and its low percentage of high school…

Hospital Outpatient Entrance Sign

Commentary: Reform drug discount program

Discounts on prescription drugs are a great thing for patients. They can also help hospitals. The 340B Drug Discount Program, in fact, requires drug companies to give deep price breaks to federally funded clinics and hospitals that serve many uninsured and vulnerable patients. But state Rep. Kim Schofield, in a new GHN Commentary, says some…

We must fix federal drug discount program

By State Rep. Kim Schofield Federally sponsored health care programs often start with the best intentions and have the potential to be successful in reducing the cost of quality health care across the nation. The 340B Drug Discount Program was created by Congress in 1992. The program requires that prescription drug manufacturers provide deep discounts…

State waiver proposal coming soon; hospital transparency rules unveiled

State officials are expected to have at least one health care waiver proposal ready for an agency board to consider in early November. The waiver development is a central part of Gov. Brian Kemp’s strategy to improve Georgia health care. The state has a high uninsured rate, and its health rankings on various measures lag…

Deadlock: Anthem patients lose network status at Northeast Georgia

Thousands of Georgians with Anthem insurance are now out of network if they visit hospitals and other facilities run by a Gainesville-based health system. The contract between Anthem, the state’s largest health insurer, and Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) expired early Tuesday. Four months ago, Northeast Georgia sent letters to about 40,000 patients, warning of…

Employer survey again shows higher costs for workers, firms

Health care costs for both companies and workers keep going higher, with no end in sight. A national survey released Wednesday reported that premiums for employer health plans for family coverage rose 5 percent this year. That benefit cost increase, as in previous years, rose faster than workers’ wages and inflation, said the 2019 benchmark…

Commentary: Many Georgia hospitals’ lifeline in danger

The Disproportionate Share Hospital program isn’t widely known among the public. But among hospital leaders, it’s a crucial factor in the financial health of their facilities. The DSH program helps hospitals cover the costs of care not paid for by insurance. Efforts to maintain funding are stalled in Congress, and if the issue is not taken…

Congressional inaction on DSH program will hurt Georgia hospitals

By Bernie Tokarz While lawmakers in Washington debate the nuances of broader health care policy, uninsured Americans are still turning to local hospitals to access basic care, and those hospitals are still on the hook for the costs of that care. And if Congress doesn’t act by the end of September, funding for the program…

No delay: Nonprofit hospitals must disclose financial data soon

Georgia’s nonprofit hospitals will still have to disclose extensive financial data by Oct. 1, even though state regulations on this new requirement won’t be finished by then, state officials say. A disclosure law, passed by the General Assembly early this year, requires reporting of executive compensation and the financial holdings of hospitals, among other information….