There is a chance that an area of thunderstorms will move into north Georgia this evening into early Saturday morning. Some of these storms could also be severe with large hail and damaging wind gusts, according to the National Weather Service.
Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected across the area Saturday through Thursday, primarily in the afternoon and evening hours. A few strong storms are possible each day with frequent lightning, hail, gusty winds and heavy rain.
It’s hard to believe that 24 years ago, the first Toy Story was released and it revolutionized animated films. So how does this fourth chapter fit in the scheme of things? Pretty much like this.
While most franchises run out of good reasons to keep going by this point, I’m happy to report that this fourth installment manages to retain the same level of humor, tears, delightful animation and voice work as the first three.
I think the main reason why these films work the way they do is because the filmmakers are able to craft a story with enough wit and humor and heart to match its technical ambitions and give us characters we genuinely care about.
Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are back leading an all-star cast as Woody and Buzz Lightyear and they’re with their new owner, Bonnie after the heartfelt ending of the third one. Bonnie is getting ready to start kindergarten but before she does her family decides to go on a road trip and of course, the toys come along for the ride.
We get a slew of new characters introduced. Among them is a spork named Forky (Tony Hale) who believes he’s trash instead of a toy after Bonnie made him. This leads to some insightful exchanges between Forky and Woody.
Woody finds himself an antique shop and there he’s reunited with Bo Peep (Annie Potts). He also encounters a doll named Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) and her trio of bizarre ventriloquist dolls who don’t want either of them to leave.
Other characters that pop up include Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key as a bunny and a duck at a carnival.
Oh, and of course, Keanu Reeves costars as Duke Caboom, Canada’s equivalent of Evel Knievel who longs desperately to redeem himself after his commercial lets down his former owner by not being able to jump as far as he’s supposed to.
Hanks and Allen are unsurprisingly wonderful again as Woody and Buzz Lightyear and they’re surrounded by mostly the same cast that also brings their A-game.
The standouts of this one are Hale, Key and Peele and Reeves. They all deliver funny and charismatic work and their characters actually add to the story instead of being tangential.
As with the previous films, there’s a great degree of intelligence, laugh-out-loud moments, and a visual texture to the animation that makes it feel more believable and detailed than ever before. If you don’t believe me, check out a cat in that antique shop.
The movie does end on a high note and I’m not sure if a fifth film is necessary, but you know what? I’m willing to see these toys get played with again.
William Russell Gailey, age 52 of Habersham County, passed away on Thursday, June 20, 2019.
Born in Toccoa, Georgia on December 5, 1966 to Larry W. Gailey of Baldwin and the late Carol Cunningham Gailey.
In addition to his mother, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Richard Gailey and Scott Gailey.
In addition to his father, survivors include his step-mother, Janet Gailey of Baldwin; children, Jonathan Gailey of Baldwin, Christian & Kelsey Gailey of Baldwin, Anthony Hopkins of Alto, Toni Gailey and Tamara Delgado both of Clarkesville; 9 grandchildren; brother, Cory Justice of Ohio; sisters, Marion Tucker of Blairsville and Michelle Martin of Toccoa; several nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Bernice Stephens Armour, age 96, of Alto, Georgia passed away on Thursday, June 20, 2019.
Mrs. Armour was born on June 5, 1923 in Anderson, South Carolina to the late Lando Berry and Sallie Edmonds Stephens. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Archie Elder Armour; sisters, Grace Carter, Mae Heimberger; brothers, Ralph Stephens, Jack Stephens, and Edgar Stephens. Mrs. Armour was a member of BC Grant Baptist Church. She was a retired employee of Mt. Vernon Mills with 19 years of service and was formerly employed with Milliken at New Holland. Mrs. Armour loved baking cakes, and enjoyed having a vegetable garden. She also loved cats and gospel music.
Survivors include her brother, Junior Stephens, of Lula; several nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Funeral Services will be held at 3:00 p.m., Sunday, June 23, 2019 at BC Grant Baptist Church with Rev. Daniel Parker and Rev. Terry Rice officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturday, June 22, 2019 at Whitfield Funeral Home, South Chapel.
FORSYTH, Ga. – The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) Commissioner Timothy C. Ward announced the reassignment of Murray Tatum to warden at Lee Arrendale State Prison (SP), effective July 1, 2019. As warden, Tatum will be responsible for overseeing approximately 350 staff members and 1,700 special-mission female offenders
“Tatum has displayed a remarkable work ethic during his 27 years of service to the department,” Ward said. “We are confident that his experience and knowledge will benefit the staff and offenders at Lee Arrendale SP.”
Tatum began his career with the department in 1992 as a correctional officer at Lee Arrendale SP. In 1999, he was promoted to a public safety training instructor 1, and in 2000 was promoted to a public safety training instructor 2 at Lee Arrendale SP. Tatum served as the public safety training instructor 3 at the North Georgia Regional Corrections Academy and the field training manager for the North area. In 2013, he was promoted to deputy warden of security at Lee Arrendale SP. In October 2016, Tatum was promoted to warden at Dodge SP, where he currently serves.
Tatum holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a Master of Public Safety Administration from Columbus State University. Tatum has completed the following departmental training: Basic Correctional Officer Training (BCOT), Basic Management Training (BMT), the Professional Management Program (PMP) through Columbus State University, Law Enforcement Professional Management, Corrections Leadership Institute (CLI), the Deputy Warden of Security Academy and Wardens and Chief Pre-Command.
Judy Woodall McAllister, age 72, of Clarkesville, GA went to her Heavenly home on Friday, June 21, 2019.
Mrs. McAllister was born on September 5, 1946, in Clarkesville, GA to the late Lester and Edith Woodall. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Gary Harrison, daughter; Lisa Tilley; sister, Velma Hughes; brother, Ben Woodall. Mrs. McAllister was retired from Lee Arrendale Correctional Institute with 25 years of loyal and dedicated service. She was of the Baptist Faith.
Survivors include son and daughter-in-law, Jimmy and Wanda Crowe, Baldwin, GA; son, Tim McAllister, Clarkesville, GA. sisters: Sara Worley, Clarkesville, GA, Marilyn Stowe, Toccoa, GA, Regina Long, Gainesville, GA, and Debbie (Tommy) Wood, Clarkesville, GA; grandchildren: Eugene Akers, Misty Aderhold, Tanner McAllister, and Ansley McAllister; 11 great-grandchildren.
Memorial services will be held at 2:00 pm Saturday, June 29, 2019, at the Whitfield Funeral Home South Chapel, Baldwin, GA with the Rev. Steve Doran officiating.
The family will receive friends from 1:00 pm until the memorial service hour on Saturday.
Flowers are welcomed or memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 2565 Thompson Bridge Road, Gainesville, GA 30501.
Mrs. Sarah Lucille Sosbee Watson, age 88 of Demorest, passed away on Saturday, June 22, 2019.
Funeral services are scheduled for 2 pm on Tuesday, June 25, 2019, at the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, Demorest, Georgia. Interment will follow in the Yonah Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends on Monday, June 24, 2019, from 7 pm until 9 pm at the funeral home.
Numerous thunderstorms are expected to develop across the mountains this afternoon and early evening ahead of an approaching cold front.
The primary threat with these thunderstorms will be the potential for damaging wind gusts, according to the National Weather Service. Large hail will be a secondary hazard with these thunderstorms, and a brief tornado cannot be ruled out.
Any of these thunderstorms will also have the potential to produce frequent cloud-to-ground lightning and locally heavy rainfall.
Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected across the area Tuesday through Sunday, primarily in the afternoon and evening hours. An isolated severe thunderstorm cannot be ruled out.
“The above account may be sent to a collection agency if we do not receive immediate payment.’’
“I wondered what other people do, people with bigger medical bills and less ability to pay. What type of letters do they get?” – Andy Miller
The amount due: $26.04. At least they sent me an envelope with it (though they didn’t include a stamp).
It was the first of two such threatening bill-collecting letters I’ve received in the past few months.
I have always been a stickler for paying my bills — in full and on time. Collection agency notices and credit threats are not standard fare in our daily pile of mail. When I got this letter, I was determined to pay the money immediately.
When I went to write the check, though, it occurred to me that there was something familiar about the amount. So I checked my online bank records, and there it was: A canceled check for $26.04, written a few months earlier. To the same medical provider.
I called the phone number on the bill, and the person I talked to was somewhat taken aback by my tone. It wasn’t pleasant. They asked to see the canceled check. After I emailed a scanned version, I didn’t hear from them again.
I wondered what other people do, people with bigger medical bills and less ability to pay. What type of letters do they get?
Cindi Gatton, an Atlanta-based independent patient advocate, tells me that hospitals, doctors and other providers “have gotten a lot more ruthless in collecting these bills. They outsource this, and they pay the company based on collection.’’
“It’s very anxiety-provoking for consumers, even if it’s a small amount.’’
Then there’s the impact on a person’s credit. At least 43 million Americans have overdue medical bills on their credit reports, a federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report on medical debt found in 2014.
Gatton says many people have high-deductible health plans and don’t realize that their insurance doesn’t pay for everything. “People figure their insurance covers them, and they throw the bill in a drawer,’’ Gatton adds. Many haven’t hit their deductible amount, which can be thousands of dollars, so they’re on the hook whether they realize it or not.
Of course, when insurance intersects with medicine, general confusion arises. Ever try figuring out a hospital bill?
“Medical bills are more confusing. It’s the only thing you buy where you don’t know the cost of it till you bought it,’’ Gatton says.
Late last year, a friend of mine got a puzzling document in the mail from a medical provider he had used. He told me it was a long printout, full of medical terminology and lots of figures. But there was one figure highlighted in bright yellow marker, my friend said. He went to the provider and asked if the document was a bill. The staff told him it was, so he paid the highlighted sum, which was about $200.
A few days later, he received a tough-worded letter saying the bill he had just paid was late. And a few days after that, my friend received a polite letter informing him of the charge, as if the issue had not come up before. “It was like they sent the three letters in reverse order,” he told me.
Not an easy situation for doctors
I actually thought my medical provider in the $26.04 case did a great job. I would use them again.
I feel the same way about the provider who sent me another bill a couple of months ago. The amount this time was $39.89.
“Your account is moving into a delinquent status due to nonpayment,’’ the letter warned.
Medical bills are “the only thing you buy where you don’t know the cost of it till you bought it.” – Cindi Gatton
This one I hadn’t paid.
Did I miss ithe in the heap of mail we get? Did we even receive a first copy?
I wouldn’t put this in the category of surprise medical bills, even though it surprised me. I wrote out a check right then and there, and carried the letter right out to the mailbox.
Bloomberg reported last year that health care providers increasingly are scrambling to get payments from people who have insurance. Doctors “have to engage in an awkward dance. One moment they’re removing a pre-cancerous skin mole. The next, they’re haranguing patients to pay what’s become a growing portion of the total medical bill.’’
“It’s harder to collect from the patient than it is from the insurance,” said Dr. Amy Derick, who heads a dermatology practice outside Chicago, Bloomberg reported. “If the plans change to a higher deductible, it’s harder to get the patients to pay.”
I understand the reimbursement pressures on hospitals and doctors, especially with the spread of high-deductible insurance. I also can sympathize with the confusion and frustration of consumers, trying to figure out what their insurance covers and what it doesn’t.
An erroneous charge, especially when the tone is hostile, can make a consumer feel like a defendant who’s being railroaded. “When people use health care, and something like this happens, there’s total outrage,’’ Gatton says.
The funny thing is that I like the two medical providers that sent me the scary letters, and I thought they did a fine job with their service.
Here’s the latest arrest report from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office.
DISCLAIMER
The arrest records available through this website are public information. Any indication of an arrest does not mean the individual identified has been convicted of a crime. All persons arrested are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Habersham County’s chemical-free farmers market has changed its name to North Georgia Farmers Market. Organizers announced the name change in a press release. They say the change was made to overcome confusion between the farmer’s market and Clarkesville Marketplace which was launched in 2017.
There’s been another change as well. The North Georgia Farmer’s Market has returned to its former location in front of the historic Old Clarkesville Mill on Grant Street-Hwy 385 for the 2019 season.
While the name and location have changed, other things remain the same, explains farmer’s market president Michelle Taylor of Taylor Creek Farm. “Still the same great chemical–free food and products, still the same family of friendly vendors you’ve come to know and trust, still the same recognized logo wearing a new name.”
The North Georgia Farmer’s Market is now open Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. – 12 noon through September.
Special summer events
The farmer’s market is sponsoring several fun events this summer that people of all ages throughout the community can participate in. They include:
The North Georgia Farmer’s Market – formerly Clarkesville Farmer’s Market – has returned to its location outside the old Clarkesville Mill.
Recipe Roundup – Post your recipe with a photo of the creative, tasty dishes you created with our produce (please include the vendor’s name), tag our Facebook page, and you’ll be entered into our raffle. Drawings will be held the 4th Saturday in June, July, August.
Great Rock Hunt – Ten (10) rocks have been hidden in Habersham and adjacent counties. One is a winner. Find it, bring it to the market and you’ll get $10 worth of Market Bonus Bucks. We’ll hide them throughout the summer.
Coloring Contest – Coloring pages depicting farm and garden themes will be available beginning last Saturday in June. Entries must be submitted by 3rd Saturday in July. Winners will be announced 4th Saturday in July.
For more information on these and other upcoming events, visit the market’s Facebook page.
To become a vendor, contact North Georgia Farmer’s Market Manager Joanne London at 706-865-4383.
Mom’s breakfast menu hardly varies from day to day: maple walnut oatmeal, a protein shake, and, occasionally, a toast and jelly sandwich. Many days, her dinner consists of a yogurt and enough ice cream to disguise her evening meds. (Mom won’t willingly participate in swallowing pills – most often they roll around in her mouth for a long time!)
For many years, her lunch has been whatever is leftover in the fridge. I’ve made lots of grilled cheese sandwiches or heated up a chicken pot pie from the freezer. The last few months, however, we have been blessed to be the recipient of lunch cooked and delivered by Lynn. I might embarrassing her, but I’ll brag on her anyways.
I didn’t know what prompted her to begin, but Lynn has been preparing a feast for us on Mondays. We’ve had a menu of delicious food from meats and veggies to homemade desserts. Today was ham, potato casserole, baked beans, broccoli salad (my favorite!), jello, muffins from her mama’s recipe, and cucumbers from her garden. I’m thrilled she has chosen Monday as her delivery day since I’m always there!
I asked her today why she started this ministry. She told me another woman in her circle of friends had lamented, “We don’t do things like we used to.” It’s certainly true that I don’t visit others the way Mom did. Aside from a few times I’ve gotten involved for a meal train, I don’t cook for others when they are sick or having a baby or bereaved (and maybe that’s a good thing since I’m not much of a chef). I’m not often involved in lay ministry. Lynn and her friend are “doing things” and I’m grateful to be on the receiving end!
Dad has been pretty funny about this whole situation. He couldn’t understand why Lynn had picked us to bless. Lynn told him last week he’d never know how much his godly walk and faithfulness through the years means to her. It was so sweet. I think we all got a bit choked up.
Mom and all her caregivers have benefitted from these delicious meals. Lynn brings enough to feed a small army and we have leftovers to eat for days afterwards. Some days she brings her grandsons along to help with what Dad jokingly calls “meals on wheels.” They speak to Ms. Ruth and Lynn loves on Mom with lots of smiles and hugs.
Monday lunch is now my favorite meal of the week. It’s opening presents with each foil lid. Thank you, Lynn, for loving on us with food!
Ruth Stamey Anderson, age 85, of Clarkesville, Georgia passed away on Monday, June 24, 2019.
Born at home on November 16, 1933 in Batesvlle, Georgia to Samuel E. and Lillie Barron Stamey, she was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Lloyd Morrison, Clarence “C.A.” Stamey, Hubert Stamey; sisters, Ruby Benfield, Willene Terrazas, and Minnie Langford. She was a lifelong member of Bethlehem Baptist Church. Mrs. Anderson was a teller at Habersham Bank in Clarkesville for 27 years. Ruth loved flowers and always had a flower garden. She loved to prepare meals for her large family, and was a master cake baker.
Survivors include her loving husband of 66 years, Clifford W. “Bill” Anderson; son, Clifford Daniel “Dan” Anderson; son and daughter-in-law, Jeff and Leesa Anderson; daughters and sons-in-law, Teresa Anderson Franklin and Phillip, all of Clarkesville; Edwina Anderson Houghton and Charles, of Duluth; brother, Willard Stamey, of Cleveland; ten grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, and sisters- and brothers-in-law.
Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 26, 2019 at Whitfield Funeral Home, North Chapel with Rev. Tom Fish officiating.
Interment will follow in the Bethlehem Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will accept friends from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 26, 2019 at the funeral home prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Avenue, Fl. 17, Chicago, Illinois 60601
Georgia Medicaid and PeachCare saw a drop of 20,000 kids last year, a recent report found.
Food stamp use has fallen in the state as well, continuing a steady drop since 2013.
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which aids pregnant women and families with dependent children, hit a six-year low in Georgia recipients in the state’s 2018 fiscal year. And a child care assistance program has plunged in enrollment.
Eligibility for these safety-net programs is based on family income, and the declines are at least partially due to an improved economy. Boosts in household pay mean some families and children who previously qualified for the benefits are no longer eligible.
Consumer advocacy groups acknowledge the economic factor. But they also point to more restrictive processes and to barriers they attribute, in part, to the state’s new IT system for benefits eligibility.
Online applicants may only apply for state benefits during the hours of 8am-5pm.
That system, called Gateway, is part of a multiyear, multimillion-dollar contract for Deloitte. That’s the same firm which was recently awarded the $1.9 million contract to develop health care waiver requests to the federal government for Georgia’s Medicaid program and the health insurance exchange.
The Gateway system was implemented statewide in 2017 and is run by the state’s Department of Human Services (DHS).
The questions come as thousands of poor and elderly Georgians were terminated from Medicaid, an enrollment cut first reported by the AJC. State officials said they believe they properly notified most of those people it was time to renew the benefits, and that those beneficiaries simply did not respond.
The newspaper’s Ariel Hart reported that the Gateway computer system started the problem with these members’ renewal of coverage when it accidentally created a backlog of 30,000 cases for cancellation last year.
The state said it would reinstate the Medicaid benefits of thousands of these Georgians, the AJC reported.
Meanwhile, consumer advocates have pointed to the Gateway eligibility system, which state officials have set up to take applications only between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. On top of that, DFCS, which must verify eligibility for benefits, is short about 500 eligibility caseworkers who review applications.
At least one state agency has requested that its application hours be extended.
“If you can’t get through to apply or renew, the natural result is that your rolls will go down,’’ Vicky Kimbrell, an attorney with the Georgia Legal Services Program, told GHN on Monday. “Our clients are often unable to get their applications or renewals completed because they’re unable to get through to their caseworkers, their computer system, the phones, mail, or even in person.’’
On the Gateway issue, a Deloitte official referred GHN to state officials for comment on the IT system’s performance.
State officials say that Deloitte has been paid $269.5 million from the beginning of the Gateway project in 2012 through the end of fiscal year 2019 (which is this coming Sunday, June 30). The expenditure covers costs for design, development and implementation and maintenance and operation of the system.
The Gateway contract is funded by both the federal government and the state, DHS says. While the cost-sharing formula varies according to the activity, generally about 15 percent has been funded by the state.
DHS says the new eligibility system is an improvement over the former system.
State officials say that Deloitte has been paid $269.5 million from the beginning of the Gateway project in 2012 through the end of fiscal year 2019.
“Generally, it is working well. With any system this size, you are going to spend time making tweaks,’’ Ashley Fielding, a spokeswoman for the Department of Human Services, told GHN.
Gateway “has improved the integrity of the system,’’ she said, adding that families no longer have to deal with separate agencies for these government programs. “You don’t have to give four different agencies your pay stubs.’’
The state has an obligation to issue benefits only to people who qualify for the programs, she said.
Enrollment numbers have gone down for the Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program, which provides subsidies to low-income families to pay for child care, after-school and summer programs for children. CAPS is mostly funded by the federal government.
State figures show a plunge from 94,206 CAPS children in 2016 to 68,655 last year. The first-quarter figures this year have sunk to 56,617.
A spokesman for Georgia’s Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), Reg Griffin, said the agency’s designation of “priority groups’’ for the child care benefit — based on greatest need, such as kids in foster care — was partly responsible for the enrollment drop. He also cited a transfer of eligibility verification to DECAL from the Division of Family and Children Services and the implementation of Gateway.
State figures show a plunge from 94,206 CAPS children in 2016 to 68,655 last year. The first-quarter figures this year have sunk to 56,617.
The agency’s goal, Griffin said, “is to maintain around 50,000 children at any given time.’’
DECAL has requested that the state change the CAPS rules on Gateway “to widen the hours of availability for our families. We especially want to offer evening hours. Ultimately, the goal will be allowing them to apply anytime 24/7,’’ Griffin said.
Short hours criticized
Georgia’s Medicaid program covers about 2 million Georgians, most of them children.
A Georgetown University report recently said that 20,000 fewer children were enrolled in Medicaid and PeachCare in December 2018 than the year before.
State figures, meanwhile, also show that 86,000 others, including many children, were dropped from Medicaid a year ago as part of a unusually big “reconciliation’’ process. The disenrollment figure was much higher that month than in any month before or since, state data show.
Fener Sitkoff
Erica Fener Sitkoff, executive director of the advocacy group Voices for Georgia’s Children, noted the children’s uninsured rate in the state rose in 2017. She described the limited hours of the Medicaid application process as a problem.
“Knowing that the number of uninsured children in our state has risen drastically in the last year, we of course have concerns that system barriers, such as time-limited Gateway access, are preventing children from getting the services they need, or even being able to be considered for enrollment in Medicaid or PeachCare,’’ Fener Sitkoff said.
“I am hard-pressed to understand why the state does not prioritize 24-hour enrollment application access for working families to apply for coverage for their children, especially considering that these parents often have to make significant extra effort to find broadband connectivity in the first place,’’ Fener Sitkoff said.
DHS’ Fielding told GHN that families still can check eligibility status, submit renewals, finish applications, and make changes to cases after 4 p.m.
“Division leadership changed several processes to speed application reviews, to increase access to local caseworkers and ensure Georgians got the benefits for which they were eligible,’’ she said. “One of these changes included limiting the availability of new applications online to business hours. This change ensured case manager resources were directed toward Georgians who were most in need.’’
Fielding said DFCS is working to recruit 500 eligibility caseworkers. “Manpower is an issue,’’ she said. The improving economy has made it more difficult to find people for those positions, Fielding added.
The food stamp drop has been linked to new work requirements for beneficiaries.
As of May, about 1.3 million Georgians were receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, commonly known as food stamps. In state fiscal 2013, the number of Georgians using food stamps was 1.95 million.
State employees and advocates working with poor and low-income Georgians say the decline is the result of several factors — including the institution of work requirements for people the state has identified as able-bodied adults without dependents, the AJC reported. Food stamp use has dropped nationally as well.
Meanwhile, the commissioner of the state’s Medicaid agency said recently that his department is looking at the processes involved in the terminations of the thousands of poor and elderly Georgians.
“Our No. 1 priority is that people who are eligible get the benefits they are entitled to,’’ Frank Berry, Department of Community Health commissioner, told GHN.
Berry
“We’re always trying to improve our systems,” Berry said. “I don’t think we’re ever satisfied that any of our systems are working as efficiently as they can be.’’
The terminations of elderly Medicaid recipients resulted from a glitch with Gateway.
Because of the large numbers of people involved, Medicaid enrollment changes constantly. Every month, thousands of people are either added to the rolls or are removed. The 30,000 people who were backlogged should have been part of that regular flow after they didn’t respond to renewal notices, the AJC reported. The computer should have sparked an alert for a caseworker to review each case and end the account if necessary.
Instead, a glitch surfaced in October, according to the newspaper. When Deloitte fixed the mistake in January, the backlog was too big for caseworkers to review. Community Health decided to terminate them.
(Cleveland)- Ray Black, the owner of Cleveland Drug Company, was recently recognized with an award from the Georgia Pharmacy Association for his 50 years of pharmacy practice.
In February of 1969, he purchased Cleveland Drug Company from Charlie Head while he was still finishing his internship. He graduated pharmacy school from the University of Georgia in the spring of 1969. Since that time, Ray has been a fixture in the community providing pharmacy services.
A few years after purchasing Cleveland Drugs on the south side of the square, he moved the store to the west side where it remained until 2006. The store is now on the north side of the square.
In the early years, loyal customers will remember the infamous lunch counter that served both breakfast and lunch.
Throughout the 50 years, Ray has been a pharmacist and business owner, he has supported students, the community and charitable organizations in their endeavors.
Many students and young interns have gone on to become pharmacists.
All of his years as a pharmacist has been serving the good folks of Cleveland. Always smiling, always willing to serve, Ray has become a permanent fixture in Cleveland.
Ronald Scott Batson, age 61 of Mt. Airy, passed away on Monday, June 24, 2019.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia on December 19, 1957 to Mac and Joyce Cook Batson of Mt. Airy. He was a school teacher having taught in South Korea for five years as well as the DeKalb County School System. Mr. Batson attended The Torch Worship Center.
In addition to his parents, survivors also include his son, Joshua Batson of Idaho; daughter, Divina Reyes of New Hampshire; 6 grandchildren; brother, Richard Alan Batson of Gainesville; sisters, Tina Davenport of Buford, Rebecca Million of Gainesville and Alli Lee of Mt. Airy.
Funeral services are scheduled for 2 pm, Thursday, June 27, 2019 in the Chapel of McGahee-Griffin and Stewart with Pastor Mike Franklin officiating.
The family will receive friends from 12 noon until the service hour on Thursday.
Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan told journalists Tuesday that he wants to see transparency on quality of medical care as much as on medical prices.
Duncan said there’s a vacuum of information on medical outcomes that he would like to see filled.
The lieutenant governor had been in the nation’s capital Monday, attending the ceremony at which President Trump signed an executive order for hospitals to release their actual negotiated prices of services.
Such transparency action is “a huge first step,’’ Duncan said Tuesday to an Atlanta gathering of health care journalists, sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation. “It empowers the patient to be informed.”
He also touted the passage of health care legislation in this year’s session of the Georgia General Assembly, which ended a few months ago. The 2019 Legislature, he said, passed 22 health care bills. “Georgia is a great laboratory environment for innovation and health care strategy,’’ Duncan said.
“We encompass so many of the different challenges that other states face, but it’s kind of all in one little incubator environment,” he added, citing issues involving rural health care, the uninsured and Medicaid.
Duncan addresses journalists
Duncan, a Republican, said that when he was a Georgia House member, he learned through his successful effort to create the state’s rural hospital tax credit that “policy is the best way forward, not politics.’’
Under that legislation, businesses and individuals can get a tax credit for donations to rural Georgia hospitals. “There are no strings attached,’’ he said. Rural hospitals, he said, “decide where best to deploy these dollars.’’
Gov. Brian Kemp’s proposal for waivers “will put Georgia on the national radar,’’ Duncan said.
The waiver legislation calls for a consulting firm to develop two sets of proposals that the state will submit to the federal government for approval. One proposal involves possible addition to the rolls of the Georgia Medicaid program, and the other proposes revisions to the individual exchange insurance structure.
Duncan said a work requirement for new Medicaid enrollees in Georgia can be effective, despite a federal court’s ruling striking down such provisions in other states. He said he was receptive to the waiver idea that would allow Grady Health System to manage the health needs of thousands of uninsured metro Atlanta residents.
And Duncan endorsed a “direct primary care’’ model, under which physicians would get a set fee for caring for a patient.
“Our best days are in front of us. Health care is a big part of that,’’ Duncan said. “We’re just getting started on health care.’’
Georgia lawmakers approved changes to state CON regulations during the 2019 legislative session.
Among other topics, he applauded the passage of changes to the state’s health care regulatory apparatus, called certificate of need, or CON.
“It was a big, big deal’’ to break up the “grip that CON had on the [health care] system,’’ Duncan said. He noted that the Trump administration, which has pushed for deregulation in various sectors, is very supportive of CON reform.
Duncan also praised the legislation that creates new financial reporting requirements for Georgia’s non-profit hospitals – an issue that he took a prominent role in pushing during the legislative session.
Asked about Georgia’s passage of an anti-abortion bill, Duncan said it was done through ”a very deliberative” process, and elicited very personal feelings among lawmakers. He acknowledged pushback from the movie industry, which does a great deal of business in Georgia. Some industry officials and entertainers have vowed to stop making films in the state.
He said that despite the controversy, he still believes Georgia is a “very business-friendly state.’’
Of course, when insurance intersects with medicine, general confusion arises. Ever try figuring out a hospital bill?
