Families fear ‘heartbreaking’ cuts in disability programs

Matt Gaffney had trouble living in a group home for people with disabilities like himself. He’s nonverbal and suffers from multiple conditions: severe autism, bipolar disorder, chronic gastrointestinal issues. In group homes, Matt, now 42, had his medications ‘‘raised to higher levels,’’ says Sue Gaffney, his mother. And she adds that his last group home…

Feds appear set to halt Georgia’s upcoming Medicaid waiver rules

Georgia’s move to add some low-income adults to Medicaid appears threatened as the Biden administration moves to eliminate work requirements for coverage under the government program. The White House on Friday was expected to notify states that it plans to revoke Medicaid work requirements, Politico, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal reported. And…

Georgia lawmakers weigh ‘express lane’ for many uninsured kids to get Medicaid

Tens of thousands of uninsured Georgia children could gain a pathway to health coverage under a House bill moving through the General Assembly. The legislation, if approved, would lead to the state creating “express lane eligibility’’ for many kids receiving food stamps to be automatically added to the Medicaid program. About 7 percent of children…

Elbert clinic says state punishment over COVID shots was unfair

The Elbert County medical practice at the center of a COVID-19 vaccine controversy says it was shocked at being suspended by the state after giving shots to educators. “We feel we were used to send a message,’’ said Dr. Jonathan Poon, part of the seven-physician family medicine practice in rural northeast Georgia. “We were really…

Georgia’s new senators back incentive bill for Medicaid expansion

One of the biggest carrots in the 2010 Affordable Care Act was a promise that the federal government would pay 100 percent of the costs of a state expanding its Medicaid program for three years. A group of mostly Democratic U.S. senators — including Georgia’s newly elected Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff — is pushing…

State is years behind in reporting on Medicaid program quality

By Rebecca Grapevine  Federal law requires states to update their plans for improving Medicaid health care quality at least every three years. Georgia, however, published its most recent quality plan in February 2016. It’s at least two years out of date. The guidelines aim to ensure members in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (known…

Biden plan to change health rules could leave imprint in Georgia

The Biden administration is reportedly aiming to take steps to unravel recent federal decisions on health care. If pursued, those moves could have a major impact on Georgia’s Medicaid and private insurance waivers, recently approved by the Trump administration. The Washington Post reported this week that President Biden may take executive action to reopen the…

South has high rate of unreported COVID deaths, study says

Story updated Southern states have higher rates of unreported COVID-related deaths than other regions of the country, according to a new study. The study, led by Andrew Stokes, a professor of global health at Boston University School of Public Health, analyzed deaths in 787 U.S. counties that had more than 20 COVID fatalities from Feb….

Task gets tougher for contact tracers amid rapid COVID spread

With COVID-19 cases spiking, it’s basically impossible for the state’s contact tracers to reach the burgeoning number of people potentially exposed to the disease. That’s the assessment of the state agency running the program. “With new cases hovering around 10,000 daily, it is not possible to keep up with them,’’ Nancy Nydam, spokeswoman for the…

Georgia hits daily record on COVID-19 deaths; Kemp voices frustration on vaccine situation

Georgia reported 145 COVID-related deaths Tuesday, the state’s highest single-day total recorded since the pandemic began. More than 9,000 new infections were also reported Tuesday, along with 435 new hospitalizations. The overall number of COVID hospitalizations currently has hit 5,700, continuing its steady, record-breaking climb. These grim statistics coincide with frustrating waits for Georgia seniors…