The state’s waiting list for people with HIV to get government drug assistance is steadily growing — intensifying concerns that patients won’t get the medications they need. More than 1,100 Georgians are on the waiting list for the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). That’s the second-longest list in the country behind Florida’s, says Jeff…
The news that Grady is closing two neighborhood clinics and raising prescription co-pays shows how cutbacks in government funding can squeeze front-line medical services. Grady Memorial Hospital has come back from the financial brink in just four years, aided by corporate and foundation support and new management. The safety-net hospital is an indispensable part of…
Insurance ‘’mandates.’’ Many conservatives use the term disparagingly in describing the health insurance coverages required by state or federal law. The mandates are criticized for being costly and limiting consumer choice. But consumer advocacy groups say mandated benefits such as cancer screenings protect people from policies that don’t cover important tests and services. The issue…
The Good News Clinics began treating low-income patients in a community center at a Gainesville housing project in 1992. Now, in a location that resembles a regular doctor’s office, Good News is the largest full-service free clinic in Georgia, handling more than 1,500 medical and dental visits every month. The rise in the number of…
The executive director of Georgia’s largest physicians organization has been picked to head the state Department of Community Health. David Cook, an attorney and longtime head of the Medical Association of Georgia, was rumored to be at the top of Gov.-elect Nathan Deal’s list for the DCH job. As Dave Williams of the Atlanta Business…
Given that there are 50 states, a health ranking of 36th isn’t much to brag about. Yet Georgia’s overall ranking on health measures such as patterns of behavior, government health policies, and clinical care did jump seven spots in 2010, from 43rd the previous year. The annual rankings, released Tuesday, are compiled by the United Health Foundation,…
The latest news about pre-existing conditions and health care reform reminds me of a man I’ll call Ed. I met Ed in the mid-1990s while reporting on the state’s health care system. A self-employed engineer in metro Atlanta, he was frustrated because he couldn’t buy health insurance. Ed’s insurance problem? He had cystic fibrosis. The…
The campaign for governor featured lots of commercials, promises, charges and countercharges. Sometimes the issues got lost in the shuffle. But for those interested in health topics, here is a guide to Gov.-elect Nathan Deal’s views on key problems in the state’s medical care system, compiled by Healthcare Georgia Foundation: