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)

Georgia ranks high for uninsured children

Georgia ranks No. 5 in the nation in its number of uninsured children. Data released Thursday by Families USA highlights the number of children lacking health care across the nation using new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. From 2005-2007, the state saw an average of 307,000 uninsured kids - or 12.1 percent of children in the state. The number was unchanged from the preceding three-year period. The report says 86.2 percent of uninsured Georgia kids are in families where at least one parent works.

(Associated Press)

NE Georgia group has plan to cover uninsured

An anti-poverty group in northeast Georgia is pushing an aggressive plan to help get basic medical care to uninsured residents.

The three-million dollar plan has been proposed by the group OneAthens. It’s not health insurance, but an arrangement meant to deliver basic medical services to the uninsured. The group says about 19-percent of Athens residents don’t have health coverage.

One of the main recommendations is to hire more clinic and hospital staff dedicated to treating low-income residents. OneAthens says this would siphon away the millions spent yearly by the two area hospitals for indigent care. A recent annual report says those hospitals spent 79-million dollars on uninsured patients.

OneAthens says funding would come from a variety of sources--the county, area hospitals, federal grants, and the state. The group's healthcare committee chairman told the Athens-Banner Herald he’d like to ask state lawmakers to allow Athens residents to consider a new sales tax.

The group hopes to get the five-year funding plan off-the-ground in September.

Norwood's widow gives 25-K for clinic

The widow of late Congressman Charlie Norwood is donating 25-thousand dollars from her husband's unused campaign funds for a clinic to serve Augusta's uninsured.

Gloria Norwood called Richmond County's Board of Health two weeks ago to offer the money to start the clinic. The gift is from her husband's general election account.

Terrence Cook is an Augusta physician and chairman of the Richmond County Board of Health. He says the idea for the clinic to serve the under- and uninsured came around the time of Norwood's re-election in the 10th district.

"This is something in the makings before Charlie became sick...after he became sick it was put to one side, but now we're going to resurrect that project with these funds".

Compared to neighboring counties, Cook says Richmond County has a particular need for such a clinic.

Volunteer doctors either retired or from the Medical College of Georgia will be asked to staff the clinic. Its projected start-up is the first of next year, if not sooner.

Federal Election Commission reports show that by the end of March, Norwood had 780-thousand dollars left in his campaign account.