Georgia Gazette Monday, June 15, 2009

Join host Rickey Bevington tonight for Georgia Gazette. On tonight's show … Guilty ‘til proven innocent… Details of charges against a middle Georgia judge, including alleged pay-off’s. More black kids are getting kicked out of school across the state...we look into the racial disparity in suspension rates. Georgian Paul Anderson stunned crowds with his strength on this day in history. We remember the world's strongest man. These stories plus your chance to win free parking at state parks tonight on Georgia Gazette at 6, 7 in Athens, re-broadcast at 11, hear our show any time at www.gpb.org/georgiagazette , and download a free podcast on iTunes.

Study Says More than Half of Unemployed People Have No Health Insurance

More than half of unemployed people who are actively seeking work in Georgia have no health insurance, according to Families USA, a nonprofit watchdog of health care and insurance issues. The statistic is the same as the national average, according to the group, which released a study on the issue today. Families USA says the high uninsured rate could have serious consequences for the health of people who are not working, and also for the health of their families. The organization also says unemployed workers are not able to afford COBRA coverage, where they can continue their health insurance from employers by paying for it themselves, and that in some states, Medicaid coverage for low-income people is hard or impossible to get. The unemployment rate in Georgia was 8.1 percent in December.

Report: Georgia could reap millions in fed healthcare aid

A healthcare lobbying group says Georgia will receive more than $700 million in Medicaid funding if a federal economic stimulus package is passed.

Washington, D.C.-based Families USA is pushing Congress to approve an estimated $40 billion healthcare package, as part of the incoming Obama Administration’s expected economic measures.

Ron Pollack is the executive president of left-leaning advocacy group. He says the funding will have a trickle-down effect locally:

“The increased money for the State of Georgia would provide approximately $708 mi llion dollars in new funding to the state, which in turn would create approximately 12,600 additional jobs and spur about 1.3 billion dollars in new business activity in the state.”

Recent State budget cutbacks pared five percent off Medicaid and PeachCare – some 114 million dollars.

A recent Georgia State University report pegs the state at sixth place nationally in uninsured residents. In 2007, about 18 – percent of all Georgians went without health care – above the national average of 15%.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of health care issues.

Georgia 6th for uninsured

The number of uninsured Georgians ranks sixth in the nation. New research out of Georgia State University says last year, 18 percent of Georgians didn’t have health insurance. The study took data from recent numbers from the U.S. Census. The report also found that in the past few years, more people in Georgia had moved from having private health insurance through an employer to a publicly funded plan.

(Atlanta Business Chronicle)

Proposed cuts to social services, higher ed

Georgia's social services programs face deep cuts. Today the board of the Department of Human Resources approved the cuts following a directive from Gov. Sonny Perdue to slash spending. Georgia is facing a 1.6-billion-dollar budget shortfall. Among the programs that could be cut are waivers for mentally disabled adults which allow them to move from institutional settings into home care. There would also be cuts to the state's mental health system and substance abuse programs.

Also today the state Board of Regents approved its budget cut proposals. They include lay-offs and a hiring freeze, hiking student fees and health insurance premiums for employees, and revoking guaranteed tuition rates. The Governor will look over all agencies’ proposals and make final budget cut decisions this fall.

New drug program for uninsured

Georgia has a new prescription drug benefit for uninsured Georgians eligible for Medicare or other public health care. TogetherRx is the brainchild of major pharmaceutical companies. In Georgia, it promises a savings of 25 to 40% on brand-name prescriptions. The program covers more than 300 medicines.

Health insurer error exposes personal info

Thousands of Georgians insured under health provider Blue Cross/Blue Shield may be at identity risk following the mass mailings of claims documents to wrong addresses.

Georgia insurance officials estimate over 200,000 Explanation of Benefits letters sent by Blue Cross went to wrong addresses last week. Letters included information such as a patient’s name, ID number, and amounts charged and owed. And some letters included social security numbers.

State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine says sensitive medical information of patients could be exposed.

"I’d say it’s the most serious violation of any major insurer that we’ve had since I’ve been in office, and I’ve been in office for 14 years".

Blue Cross says an improperly tested computer system change is to blame. A company statement says this is an isolated incident, and that changes have been made to prevent a repeat problem. A spokeswoman says the percentage of social security numbers exposed was small.

Blue Cross has a little over 3-million policyholders in Georgia.

Patient advocates: the doctor will see you. Now.

After three surgeries, Judy Sherer still had chronic pain in her left shoulder. She'd lost faith in her doctors, and in despair tried a new health benefit offered by her employer.

The service, Health Advocate, is a call-in center that helps customers find the right doctor, haggle over insurance coverage and manage other medical system headaches.

An advocate helped Sherer find a new surgeon — one who found metal shavings left in her shoulder by a previous doctor. The advocate also negotiated the charge for her physical therapy down to $40 per visit from the $200 she was told initially.

"It saved me a ton of money," said Sherer, 63, of Norcross, Ga. "I'm very, very pleased."

Health Advocate is one of a growing number of U.S. companies offering some form of advocacy services to medical consumers.

Currently, the health advocacy business is an industry with about $50 million to $75 million in annual revenue but only about a half-dozen companies of any significant size, said Richard Rakowski of Intersection LLC, a Connecticut-based investment and development firm that has researched the field.

More than ever, people need help negotiating the medical system, said Jessica Greene, a University of Oregon health policy analyst.

"We're asking consumers to make more complicated decisions, but the numeracy and health literacy skills of many consumers are not at the level needed to handle this new responsibility," Greene said.

Though some consumers are savvy enough to beat a billing overcharge or probe doctors' litigation histories, they don't have the time for such labors, experts said.

Indeed, the largest customers of health advocacy services are companies, not individuals. "The employers are interested because it means their employees are not on the phone taking care of doctor's visits" during work hours, Fischer said.

Some other companies have always focused on individuals, especially rich ones.

One example is $10,000-a-year PinnacleCare, founded in 2002 by John Hutchins, who created a concierge-like service at the Cleveland Clinic. He later used his connections to build a national network of doctors for his private health advisory start-up.

The Baltimore-based company is essentially a club for millionaires and billionaires that puts nurses and social workers in touch with members. Not only will they help members find top-level care, they will get them moved to the head of the line. PinnacleCare advisers will even meet the patient at a doctor's office or hospital.

PinnacleCare has about 1,700 member-families. One satisfied customer is Kirk Posmantur, 45, the founder and chairman of Axcess Luxury & Lifestyle. His Atlanta-based company markets handmade watches, private jets and other luxury items to the affluent.

"It's a no-brainer for those who've got net worth of $5 million or more," he said. "You've got people who advise you on your taxes. You've got people who advise you on how to manage your money. But what's more important than your health?"

(The Associated Press)

Click here for more GPB News coverage of health issues.

Health care group launches campaign

A health care advocacy group launched a multi-million dollar campaign in Atlanta today to press for reforming the American health care system.

Health Care for America Now is a coalition of more than 100, primarily left-of-center groups calling for cheaper and more comprehensive health insurance and health care.

Larry Pellegrini of the Georgia Rural Urban Summit, says the coalition plans to invest $40 million dollars to get their point across nationwide:

"…which would actually make it one of the largest, if not the largest campaign on a single issue that's ever been formed. The funding is already obtained, and we intend to make it an investment in reforms that will satisfy the needs of the people."

The group is touting a 10-point plan they want to see on the national agenda, including universal health care, a choice of private or public coverage, and equal access to treatment.

Organizers say their supporters include labor unions, women's and minority groups, medical practitioners, and small-business associations.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of state health-care issues.

Perdue signs state health care legislation

Governor Sonny Perdue was busy Wednesday signing some pieces of legislation into law. Two bills aimed at making some health insurance plans more accessible to Georgians were signed-off-on by Perdue. One eliminates companies’ state and local premium taxes on high-deductible plans--it's expected to save companies 146 million dollars over five years. The other measure signed by the Governor gives a boost to the creation of health savings accounts. Employers set up the plan where pretax dollars can be deposited to help pay medical costs. Perdue says the plans help a growing pool of uninsured Georgians with another affordable option.

PeachCare for Kids to end in November

Come November, more than 270,000 children enrolled in Georgia's PeachCare program won't have health insurance.

PeachCare for Kids covers children of Georgia's working poor.

The federal legislation behind state programs like PeachCare has not been reauthorized, and Washington lawmakers have less than two weeks to get it done.

So far, the U.S. House and Senate are bickering over their different versions of the bill, and President Bush has vowed to veto either version.

Mark Trail, with Georgia's Department of Community Health, says if Washington fails to resolve this, the program has only enough money to tide over through the end of October:

“If there is no re-authorization or no action from Congress, then Georgia will send notices to the members' families, advising them that PeachCare for Kids will terminate at the end of October.”

Trail says if lawmakers fail to reach a compromise, they could still decide to continue the federal program as is, until they're ready to reauthorize it.

Governor Sonny Perdue and House Speaker Glenn Richardson have issued statements urging Congress to resolve the issue by the September 30^th deadline.

Casey Cagle proposes health care plan

Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle today unveiled his plan for healthcare reform in Georgia.
Cagle chose a speech before the Atlanta Press Club to talk about his idea to get 1.7 million uninsured Georgians into the insurance fold.

He also wants to limit emergency room visits.

Cagle says he wants to establish a statewide public/private clinic system that would treat less life threatening illnesses that may not need an emergency room.

He also wants to establish what he calls a health marketplace through a state sponsored website where people can peruse insurance options.

"They can choose more providers, more competition, that are coming to the table as well as allow private physicians and hospitals to offer levels of care"

Companies, docotors and hospitals would voluntarily add their plans to the marketplace.

Cagle says next year he will also seek state funding for a pilot program to start 5 public/private health clinics.