Wed., December 18, 2013 12:45pm
Democratic Women Say Governor Deal Is Out Of Touch
The Georgia Federation of Democratic Women is conducting a letter-writing campaign trying to convince Governor Nathan Deal to expand Medicaid in the state. They say accepting $40.5 billion from the federal government will help hundreds of thousands of Georgians without healthcare and could generate 70 thousand jobs. Federation President Gail Buckner says too many poor people in Georgia have no health insurance. She says they wait until they are really sick, then go to the emergency room, which puts pressure on hospitals who provide care with no reimbursement.
Tue., December 3, 2013 7:00am
Georgia Hospitals Making Progress On Costly Readmissions
New efforts to improve care coordination among hospitals, nursing homes and other providers are succeeding in reducing readmission rates, experts say. Georgia’s nursing homes and hospitals are collaborating more than ever to reduce readmissions, say officials with Georgia’s Quality Improvement Organization , a state-based group funded by Medicare to review medical care.
Tue., November 19, 2013 9:00am
Medicare Official Says Health Law Is Boon For Seniors
Recent problems with the Affordable Care Act--a poorly functioning insurance exchange website and an uproar over canceled policies--have dominated headlines and reignited political debates. But Jonathan Blum has a positive message to deliver about the ACA and its effect on the Medicare program, which covers about 1.4 million Georgians.
Tue., November 5, 2013 6:00am
Financially Strained, More Seniors Are Unable to Get Dental Care
Millions of older adults are unable to get the dental services they need because it’s often not covered by Medicare, Medicaid or the VA. Among Georgians 65 years and older, almost one in four have lost all their teeth, according to the CDC’s State Oral Health Profile. And Georgia has no dentist in 24 of its 159 counties.
Fri., October 25, 2013 5:24am
Phoebe Follows National Trend, Cuts 120 Jobs
Phoebe Putney Health System said Thursday that it is cutting 127 jobs as part of an organizational restructuring. These reductions come on top of the 33 “leadership’’ positions eliminated earlier this month by Phoebe Putney, the dominant hospital system in southwest Georgia. The Albany-based system said the job reduction would lower operating costs by $10 million. Similar staffing cuts are occurring elsewhere in the state and nation.
Thu., September 19, 2013 9:08am
Georgia Near Bottom In New Health Ranking
A new report ranks Georgia 45th on how well the state’s health care system works for low-income families. For people with low incomes, Georgia ranked 46th in health care access and affordability, 47th in performance and treatment, 34th in potentially avoidable hospital use, and 35th in healthy lives, according to the report.
Thu., August 29, 2013 7:00am
Emory Settles Double-Billing Claims
Federal prosecutors say Emory University has agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle claims that billed Medicare and Medicaid for services not allowed by the rules of programs. A statement released Wednesday says the U.S. attorney's office in Atlanta and Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens reached the settlement with Emory.
Thu., August 1, 2013 11:58am
Victims Paid In Multi-State Fraud Case
The US Justice Department is making its largest-ever restitution payment in the agency's Southern District. US Attorney Edward Tarver announced the $27 million repayment in Savannah. Tarver said the money comes from a father-and-son crime ring that defrauded federal, state and private health insurers.
Mon., July 15, 2013 5:00am
Columbus Regional Accused Of Overbilling
An administrator of a Georgia medical center has filed a whistle-blower lawsuit claiming the facility has been overbilling government insurers. Administrative director of the John B. Amos Cancer Center, Richard Barker, alleges physicians systematically overbilled Medicare, Medicaid, the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program.
Mon., July 8, 2013 2:48pm
Augusta Hospital Settles False Claims Case
Federal prosecutors say a hospital and a radiation practice in Augusta have agreed to pay more than a million dollars to settle allegations it filed false claims. Prosecutors said Monday that Doctors Hospital of Augusta, LLC, which is owned and operated by the for-profit hospital chain, HCA Inc., and Radiation Oncology Associates, LLP, agreed to pay $1,020,000.