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Health Care Access and Improvement
Elimination of $500,000 for start-up funding for FQHCs.
Addition of $500,000 in start-up grants for FQHCs in Jeff Davis and Marion counties.
Healthcare Facility Regulation
Addition of $7,454,466 to support strategic measures for stabilizing staffing in the nursing home program.
Medicaid - Aged, Blind, and Disabled
Reduction of $74,646,745 in State funds to reflect savings from the temporary FMAP increase through September 30, 2021.
Addition of $25,328,540 to provide a 10% rate increase for home and community-based service providers.
Addition of $11,932,550 to provide a 2% rate increase for skilled nursing centers.
Addition of $3,470,204 for skilled nursing centers to update the general and professional liability, property insurance, and property tax pass-through rate components to current costs.
Committee Reports
Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy, Utilities, and Telecommunications Committee
The Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy, Utilities, and Telecommunications Committee, chaired by Representative Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta), met this morning to consider two measures.
HB 76, authored by Representative John Carson (R-Marietta), amends O.C.G.A. § 46-4-164 to increase the percentage limitation of EMC investments in a gas affiliate. Current law allows investments up to 15%. This bill increases that amount to 60%. The subcommittee took no testimony on the bill and moved the bill DO PASS.
HB 150, authored by Representative Bruce Williamson (R-Monroe), amends O.C.G.A. § 46-1-6 to prohibit local governmental entities from adopting policies that prohibit the connection or reconnection of any utility service based on the source of energy or fuel. Members of the committee including Reps. David Dryer (D-Atlanta) and Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) expressed concern
Senate Finance Committee
Senator Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome) led his Committee this afternoon with a hearing on SB 1, a bill authored by Senator Dean Burke (R-Bainbridge) which amends Title 31 to require that entities, that receive state income tax credits and provide self-funded, employer sponsored health insurance not subject to the regulatory authority of the Commissioner of Insurance, must report insurance claims information to the Georgia All-Payer Claims Database. The legislation further requires compliance with the reporting requirement beginning January 1, 2022, as a condition to continued receipt of any such tax credits.
The Committee held a hearing only discussion today on the legislation. Senator Burke explained the legislation on the All-Payer Claims Database initiative which has been adopted in 34 states. The goals are to provide transparency and predictability to improve outcomes and access to healthcare. The claims completed by providers for patients would be translate
Policing the Police
This time last year, Americans were living in blissful ignorance of what 2020 would become a year marred by a deadly pandemic and police violence-inspired civil unrest. There’s hope that COVID-19’s intensity will soon diminish with the mass distribution of a vaccine, but the other issue remains relevant as ever.
Back in May of 2020, a troubling video emerged from Minneapolis. It showed a policeman pinning a man named George Floyd [1] to the ground with his knee. The officer restrained Floyd in this manner for over eight minutes, which tragically led to Floyd’s death by asphyxiation. This sparked a hailstorm of criticism and a long series of protests across the country.