More than most tragedies, suicide should be preventable. But thwarting it can prove terribly difficult as the causes and warning signs often go unrecognized. In fact, the rate of suicides has gone up recently, and though the increase in Georgia is not as great as the one nationwide, it is cause for alarm. September is…
By Judy Fitzgerald September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and this is an especially important issue to discuss right now. In fact, talking about suicide out loud — regularly, repeatedly, and thoughtfully — is part of the solution. There are many ways that you can help prevent suicide, regardless of your age, race, status, or background, but first, let’s…
Georgia’s uninsured rate rose slightly in 2018, to 13.7 percent, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday. That gives Georgia the nation’s third-highest rate of people without health insurance. The state trails only Texas and Oklahoma. Georgia had the fourth-highest percentage in 2017. The national uninsured rate also rose in 2018, from 7.9 percent of Americans,…
Some Democratic presidential candidates are promoting the idea of Medicare for All, a system that would enroll every American in a government health plan. This idea has plenty of critics. Republicans say it would be fiscally disastrous. And some other Democratic candidates, while supporting expanded coverage, question the feasibility of Medicare for All. They want…
By Kirk Wilson We have heard much recently about Medicare for All. Why? Here are some reasons: Reason No. 1. Insuring all people who are currently uninsured can only be a good thing. Obamacare, in its current set-up, falls woefully short of doing so. Reason No. 2. No one involved in either paying insurance premiums, or the co-pays…
Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan announced Wednesday that he has formed a task force to tackle health care access and costs in Georgia. Duncan said the group will study medical price transparency and other “free-market’’ solutions, the use of data and technology, and employer innovations in health care. The task force will consist of state lawmakers…
Georgia has a high rate of people without health insurance, and it’s statistically below average in quality of health care. Those shortcomings, state officials say, underscore a clear need to make changes to Georgia’s health insurance systems. That message was part of a presentation Thursday to a large advisory council formed to offer input on…
A new van that will deliver health care to Georgia children continues a trend of bringing medical services to schools. Peach State Health Plan is partnering with Kids’-Doc-On-Wheels, a pediatric organization, to run the new mobile health clinic. It will offer well-child exams, asthma and allergy monitoring, immunizations and behavioral health care, along with other…
A Georgia physician who visited migrant border facilities last month says she was alarmed by the signs of children’s stress there. Dr. Sally Goza of Fayetteville, president-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said Monday that the visit by herself and other pediatricians underscored the organization’s position that the Border Patrol facilities are not a…
“Public health” is much more than a term that most people vaguely recognize. Agencies that fall under this category play a vital role in Georgia and other states, and they do their work at the community level. “We believe that Georgia’s county public health departments accomplish much more than most taxpayers realize,’’ say Dr. William…