The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Thursday evening on legislation that begins the process of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. The bill is supported by President Trump and congressional Republican leaders. Eliminating the ACA, though, is opposed by many organizations, large and small. Karuna Ramachandran of the Center for Pan Asian…
This week, the fortunes of rural hospitals in Georgia took a turn for the better. Voters in Monroe and Jefferson counties Tuesday approved tax increases to help preserve their rural hospitals, which are in financial danger. And a proposed tax credit upgrade for donors to rural hospitals, an idea that had appeared dead in this…
How would the new health care plan proposed by congressional Republicans affect Georgia? Much of the impact has yet to be analyzed. Under many of the plan’s elements, though, the states would be treated similarly. One striking change nationwide would fulfill a longtime GOP campaign promise: The newly unveiled American Health Care Act would eliminate…
Five years ago, Grady Health System in Atlanta was racking up a $27 million loss. At the time, the job of Grady CEO appeared to be one of the least secure in the health industry: As of late 2011, there had been five chief executive officers in five years. That year, the Grady system had…
Georgia lawmakers passed major health care legislation Friday, including a bill to plug a $900 million hole in the state Medicaid budget. The Georgia House voted 152-14 to approve the renewal of the hospital “provider fee” for another three years. Senate Bill 70, which passed the Senate last week, will now go to Gov. Nathan…
The GPB program “Lawmakers” last week featured Georgia Health News and three legislators discussing health care issues at the state Capitol and in Washington. Here’s a link to the video: http://www.gpb.org/lawmakers/ 2017/day-10
The state Senate, as expected, approved the renewal of a hospital “provider fee’’ Thursday that will fill a $900 million hole in the Georgia Medicaid budget. Though the vote was 50-3, the debate beforehand became testy. Democrats called for the state to expand its Medicaid program, as 31 other states have done. Georgia’s Republican leadership…
A House committee unanimously approved legislation Tuesday that would allow dental hygienists to practice in school clinics, nursing homes and safety-net locations without having a dentist present. The passage of House Bill 154 by the House Health and Human Services Committee comes a year after the sudden collapse of similar legislation in the 2016 General…
With Donald Trump in office as president, the health care landscape is facing changes, and some may be dramatic. The Republican-led Congress and Trump aim to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, which could be a long, complicated process. In a new GHN Commentary, Kelly McCutchen of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation says that…
There is no question that Georgia’s rural hospitals are struggling. The great majority are losing money every year, and several have been forced to close. Their struggles were one of the primary reasons cited for Medicaid expansion. But before we throw money at the problem, it’s important to understand one of the fundamental causes: a…