When Suicidal Calls Come In, Who Answers? Georgia Crisis Line Response Rates Reveal Gaps
In Georgia, a high number of callers to the 988 crisis line hang up or disconnect before reaching a counselor. Many other calls are transferred out of state.
Andy Miller
Andy Miller was Southern bureau editor for 窪蹋勛圖厙 News until 2022.
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Years Later, Centene Settlements With States Still Unfinished
At least 20 states have settled disputes with health insurance giant Centene since 2021 over allegations that its pharmacy benefit manager operation overcharged their Medicaid programs. Two holdouts appear to remain: Georgia has not yet settled, and Florida officials wont answer questions about its Centene situation.
By Andy Miller -
Democratic Senators Ask Watchdog Agency To Investigate Georgias Medicaid Work Rule
A group of Democratic senators asked the Government Accountability Office to examine a Georgia program that requires some Medicaid enrollees to work, study, or volunteer 80 hours a month for coverage. They cited 窪蹋勛圖厙 News reporting, which has documented the programs high costs and low enrollment.
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Georgias Work Requirement Slows Processing of Applications for Medicaid, Food Stamps
Georgias ability to process applications for Medicaid and other public benefits has lagged since the launch of Republican Gov. Brian Kemps Pathways Medicaid work requirement, leaving Georgia with persistently slow Medicaid application processing times.
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PBM Math: Big Chains Are Paid $23.55 To Fill a Blood Pressure Rx. Small Drugstores? $1.51.
Criticism of prescription drug middlemen has intensified recently in the wake of a federal agencys actions and legislative reform attempts. Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, though, vetoed a related bill that would have helped independent pharmacies, citing the unfunded cost of the move.
By Andy Miller -
Extended-Stay Hotels, a Growing Option for Poor Families, Can Lead to Health Problems for Kids
Extended-stay hotels are often a last resort for low-income families trying to avoid homelessness. But hotel living can lead to or exacerbate various physical and mental health issues for children, say advocates for families and researchers who study homelessness.
By Andy Miller and Renuka Rayasam -
What Happens Three Months From Now? Mental Health After Georgia High School Shooting
The recent shooting at Apalachee High School outside of Atlanta caused more than physical wounds. Medical experts worry a lack of mental health resources in the community and in Georgia as a whole means few options for those trying to cope with trauma from the shooting.
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Bipartisan Effort Paves Way for Reviving Shuttered Hospitals in Georgia
Certificate of need laws, largely supported by the hospital industry, limit health facility construction in 35 states and Washington, D.C. Georgia lawmakers decided its law was complicating the reviving of two hospitals critical to their communities.
By Andy Miller and Sam Whitehead -
Inside the Political Fight To Build a Rural Georgia Hospital
Political drama involving a rural Georgia county reflects how state regulations that govern when and where hospitals can be built or expanded are evolving.
By Andy Miller and Sam Whitehead -
Presidential Election Could Decide Fate of Extra Obamacare Subsidies
Most states that saw enrollment in the Obamacare marketplace double from 2020 to 2024 are in the South. But the enhanced federal subsidies that attracted people with $0 premiums and low out-of-pocket costs will expire next year.
By Andy Miller -
Toxic Gas Adds to a Long History of Pollution in Southwest Memphis
People across the nation claim cancer-causing emissions from local sterilizing plants are making them sick. Its an example of environmental racism, say residents of one predominantly Black area in southwest Memphis, Tennessee, where life expectancy is much shorter than county and state averages.
By Andy Miller -
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Georgias Medicaid Work Requirements Costing Taxpayers Millions Despite Low Enrollment
Republican Gov. Brian Kemps Georgia Pathways to Coverage program has seen anemic enrollment while chalking up millions in start-up costs largely in technology and consulting fees. Critics say the moneys being wasted on a costly and ineffective alternative to Obamacares Medicaid expansion.
By Andy Miller and Renuka Rayasam -
Toxic Gas That Sterilizes Medical Devices Prompts Safety Rule Update
The Environmental Protection Agency is tightening regulation of ethylene oxide, a carcinogenic gas used to sterilize medical devices. The agency is trying to balance the interests of the health care industry supply chain with those of communities where the gas creates airborne health risks.
By Andy Miller and Sam Whitehead -
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Southern Lawmakers Rethink Long-Standing Opposition to Medicaid Expansion
While many Republican state lawmakers remain firmly against Medicaid expansion, some key leaders in holdout states are showing a willingness to reconsider. Public opinion, financial incentives, and widening health care needs make resistance harder.
By Daniel Chang and Andy Miller -
Rising Suicide Rate Among Hispanics Worries Community Leaders
The suicide rate for Hispanics in the United States has increased significantly over the past decade. The reasons are varied, say community leaders and mental health experts, citing factors such as language barriers, poverty, and a lack of bilingual mental health professionals.
By Andy Miller and Molly Castle Work -
How the Thyroid Gland Mystifies Doctors and Patients
This illustrated report has been adapted from a 窪蹋勛圖厙 News article, Many Autoimmune Disease Patients Struggle With Diagnosis, Costs, Inattentive Care by Andy Miller, with artwork by Oona Tempest.
By Oona Zenda and Andy Miller -
Many Autoimmune Disease Patients Struggle With Diagnosis, Costs, Inattentive Care
Despite the prevalence of autoimmune conditions, like the thyroid disease Hashimotos, sometimes finding help can prove frustrating as well as expensive. There are often no definitive diagnostic tests, so patients may rack up big bills as they search for confirmation of their condition and for treatment options.
By Andy Miller Illustration by Oona Tempest -
In Move to Slash CDC Budget, House Republicans Target Major HIV Program Trump Launched
Republicans in Congress have proposed substantial cuts to the budget of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, taking aim at one of former President Donald Trumps major health programs: a push to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S.
By Andy Miller and Sam Whitehead
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