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Deadlock: Anthem patients lose network status at Northeast Georgia
Thousands of Georgians with Anthem insurance are now out of network if they visit hospitals and other facilities run by a Gainesville-based health system. The contract between Anthem, the state’s...
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Rebate time: Thousands of Ambetter clients to get money back
About 190,000 Georgians with health care policies from Ambetter of Peach State are getting rebates of $314 each. The payouts are required under a rule in the Affordable Care Act. The insurer owes a...
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For many, insurance doesn’t prevent high costs from prescriptions
Half of Americans take no prescription drugs. At the other end of the spectrum are people like Karen Milligan. She needs several drugs and pays a lot for them. She has dealt with multiple sclerosis...
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How are hospitals dealing with price transparency rule?
Jan. 1 marked the launch of a federal rule on medical prices that the hospital industry fought hard to stop. For the first time, each hospital was required to publish a website file showing the...
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Two rankings on health put Georgia at the bottom of states
For years, in rankings of health indicators by state, Georgia typically landed in the high 30s to low 40s. But never at the bottom. The Peach State, though, has been ranked 50th, ahead of only...
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Weekend deadline looms as Wellstar, United wrangle over contract
For the second time in recent months, insurance giant UnitedHealthcare is mired in a contract squabble with a large Georgia health care system. And as before, the battle to hammer out an agreement...
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Wellstar-United contract ends without a deal, affecting thousands
Tens of thousands of UnitedHealthcare members will now face higher out-of-pocket fees if they go to Wellstar Health System hospitals and doctors. The contract between the two organizations ended...
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Patients stranded out of network as contract talks collapse
In September, when Shelly Azzopardi went to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital with abdominal pain, she didn’t worry about her insurance. Doctors said she had a case of appendicitis. But she also tested...
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U.S. health care still lags on affordability
By Jack Bernard Many years ago, I had lunch with Dr. Uwe Reinhardt, a distinguished health care economist, who was a speaker at a national conference for hospital CEOs put on by the organization...
View ArticleCommentary: U.S. medical costs are shockingly high
The U.S. health care system has many great features. One thing that isn’t great is the cost of care. In a new GHN Commentary, retired health care executive Jack Bernard points out that compared with...
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