Blog Health Justice Taifa Smith Butler Time to Remedy Georgia’s Health Care Provider Shortages June 30, 2016 / January 15, 2020 by Taifa Smith Butler As published in the AJC June 26, 2016 Georgia needs a health care system that is sustainable. The state needs to focus on promising solutions to its health care crisis and not waste time gazing in the rear view mirror at missed opportunities. When a hospital closes, as one in Ellijay did this month, it […] Read more » medicaid Rural hospitals
Health Justice Reports Timothy Sweeney Prescribing Remedies for Georgia’s Medical Provider Shortage June 16, 2016 / February 26, 2021 by Timothy Sweeney Local access to health professionals varies widely across Georgia, from relative availability in populous Fulton County to the daunting challenge found in many rural communities. State trends mask the nuanced differences among Georgia’s regions. Evidence indicates nearly two-thirds of Georgia’s counties fall below the statewide average number for each professional category of nurses, physician assistants, […] Read more » medicaid Medicaid Expansion Rural hospitals
Blog Featured Health Justice Laura Harker Several remedies show promise for Georgia’s health care provider shortage June 16, 2016 / February 26, 2021 by Laura Harker Last week, the North Georgia Medical Center in Ellijay, Georgia closed and left yet another county with a shortage of hospital beds. In light of this and other recent hospital closures, a newly released report from GBPI outlines potential solutions to Georgia’s ongoing struggle with lack of doctors, nurses and health staff to meet the […] Read more » medicaid Rural hospitals
Blog Budget and Taxes Featured Health Justice Timothy Sweeney Georgia Misses Big Opportunity to Help Struggling Rural Hospitals April 22, 2016 / January 16, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney First published in the SW Georgia Health Beat on page 23. The good news is Georgia lawmakers understand something must be done to help the state’s struggling rural hospitals. Calhoun Memorial Hospital closed in Arlington in recent years, as did Flint River Hospital in Macon County and too many others serving Georgia’s rural communities. The not […] Read more » medicaid Rural hospitals State Taxes Tim Sweeney
Blog Cash and Safety Net Health Justice Taifa Smith Butler Lawmakers Made Small Progress, Avoided Big Budget Mistakes April 11, 2016 / January 17, 2020 by Taifa Smith Butler As Published in the AJC Former drug offenders and their families who struggle financially could get better access to nutrition assistance to help them on a path to a lawful, productive life. Some financially struggling rural hospitals stand to get a cash infusion, although the remedy that emerged from the 2016 General Assembly amounts to […] Read more » Atlanta Journal-Constitution Budget & Taxes Income Tax Legislature Medicaid Expansion Rural hospitals
Blog Budget and Taxes Health Justice Timothy Sweeney Lawmakers Miss on Health Care, Education, but Leave Flawed Tax Plan Behind April 1, 2016 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney | 1 Comment on Lawmakers Miss on Health Care, Education, but Leave Flawed Tax Plan Behind Soon after the traditional paper storm settled on the 2016 legislative session Gov. Nathan Deal’s swift veto of the so-called religious liberty bill grabbed the headlines. It’s understandable if you lost track of the fate of other important legislation at the end of the whirlwind 2016 session. While social issues seemed to dominate this year’s […] Read more » Budget & Taxes Income Tax Sine Die State Taxes
Author Health Justice Library Policy Areas Reports Timothy Sweeney Tax Credit for Contributions to Rural Hospitals: Updated Bill Analysis March 10, 2016 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney The Georgia House of Representatives has passed a $100 million tax credit program for individual and corporate donations to hospitals in rural or nearly-rural Georgia communities. House Bill 919 is designed to create private investment incentives for rural hospitals to help shore up their finances. The flawed legislation contains very few reporting requirements or guidelines […] Read more » Medicaid Expansion Rural hospitals
Author Health Justice Timothy Sweeney Tax Credit for Contributions to Rural Hospitals February 24, 2016 / January 17, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney Bill analysis updated on Mar. 10, 2016. Please see updated draft. Georgia lawmakers are considering a $250 million tax credit program for individual and corporate donations to hospitals in rural or nearly-rural Georgia communities. House Bill 919 is designed to create private investment incentives for rural hospitals to help shore up their finances. The flawed […] Read more » Bill Analysis
Blog Health Justice Timothy Sweeney New State Health Budget Traps 300K Georgians in Coverage Gap February 2, 2016 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney The proposed 2017 budget for the Department of Community Health directs $2.5 billion from the state general fund to operate Georgia’s Medicaid and PeachCare programs, which are expected to cover more than 2 million Georgians next year. The budget adds money to pay for new enrollees and higher health care costs in 2017 but the […] Read more » Depart of Community Health health Health Policy Tim Sweeney
Health Justice Library Policy Areas Reports Timothy Sweeney Overview: 2017 Budget for Department of Community Health February 2, 2016 / January 15, 2020 by Timothy Sweeney The proposed budget for the 2017 fiscal year starting July 1, 2016 directs $2.59 billion from the general fund to the Department of Community Health, excluding money for attached agencies. This is an increase of $157 million, or 6.5 percent, compared to the 2016 budget, though $46.5 million of that is due to the transfer […] Read more » Department of Community Health Tim Sweeney