SEPTEMBER 5, 2019
Anthem faces contract standoff, launches new health plan in Georgia
Georgia Health News
September is shaping up as a worrisome time for thousands of Georgia patients. Consumers are being notified that on Sept. 30, the contract between the state’s largest health insurer, Anthem, and Northeast Georgia Health System is due to expire. | READ MORE
U.S. judge approves CVS purchase of insurer Aetna
Reuters
A federal judge reviewing a Justice Department decision to allow U.S. pharmacy chain and benefits manager CVS Health Corp to merge with health insurer Aetna said on Wednesday that the agreement was in fact legal under antitrust law. | READ MORE
Georgia college system passes on rising health costs to working spouses
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia Board of Regents approved a proposal at its August meeting to impose a monthly $100 surcharge on employees whose spouses choose not to join the health insurance plan provided by their own employer. | READ MORE
Feds tap Georgia clinics to aid [ACA] sign-ups; drop refugee group
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Open enrollment is approaching again for the market where nearly half a million Georgians get their health insurance, the Affordable Care Act exchange. | READ MORE
Battle lines shifting in Georgia health care provider debate
Northwest Georgia News
Sen. Chuck Hufstetler had to call for order several times during testimony about the possibility of expanding the role of mid-level healthcare providers in Georgia. | READ MORE
They got estimates before surgery – and a bill after that was 50% more
Kaiser Health News
Hospital estimates are often inaccurate and there is no legal obligation that they be correct, or even be issued in good faith. It’s not so in other industries. | READ MORE
Grady taps profits, controversy in EMS expansion throughout Georgia
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After picking up the tab for Atlanta’s poor for more than a century, Atlanta’s iconic public health care provider, Grady Memorial Hospital, has now become a household name in medical transport services throughout the state. Grady has expanded ambulance service to more than 16 counties and scooped up contracts for patient transfers with a half-dozen hospital systems. | READ MORE
Kennesaw State, WellStar awarded grant for health disparities research
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kennesaw State University will team up with WellStar Health System to study bioethical issues faced by people experiencing social or economic barriers while trying to manage their care. | READ MORE
West Nile Virus toll can be extreme for some Atlanta residents
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Getting a single mosquito bite in metro Atlanta changed Jule Hamrick’s life in a way she couldn’t fathom. | READ MORE
20 minutes enough for an office visit? Yeah, right
MedPage Today
We have to take money out of the equation, remove the crushing expectations of the fee-for-service system, and let us design a patient appointment to be what we really think it needs to be, the entire team of our patient-centered model taking care of our patients until everything – everything – is done. | READ MORE
‘This ain’t your mother’s marijuana,’ surgeon general says
Associated Press
Federal health officials issued a national warning Thursday against marijuana use by adolescents and pregnant women, as more states legalize the increasingly potent drug for medicinal and recreational use. | READ MORE
Once again soda tied to higher risk of early death
WebMD
Whether you call it soda, pop or a soft drink, a new study's findings suggest it would be better for your health to drink water instead. | READ MORE
Juul Labs facing scrutiny from federal and state officials
Associated Press
With e-cigarette giant Juul Labs facing a mounting number of state and federal investigations into its marketing and sales practices, a top Trump administration official pledged Friday to use all of the government’s regulatory and enforcement power “to stop the epidemic of youth e-cigarette use.” | READ MORE
Advertise with MAG: Please contact Tom Kornegay at 678.303.9260 or tkornegay@mag.org if you are interested in running an ad in the Georgia Pulse, which is a weekly compilation of media reports that are related to health care and the medical profession. It is sent to more than 6,000 physicians in Georgia.
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