Lt. Gov. picks Burke for health care task force

Published 5:06 pm Thursday, August 29, 2019

ATLANTA — State Sen. Dean Burke, R-Bainbridge, is one of 16 members announced Wednesday for a task force chaired by Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan to address the cost and availability of health care services.

Burke, whose district includes all of Colquitt County as well as all or part of seven other counties, is a physician.

The Task Force on Healthcare Access and Cost will pinpoint improvements that can be made to tackle the cost and access burdens to healthcare across Georgia, according to a press release from Duncan’s office. Specially, the group will evaluate: (1) price transparency and other free market solutions; (2) data and technology utilization; and (3) employer innovation. Duncan will chair the group, which will hold three meetings before the start of the legislative session in January.

“Georgia has taken huge steps toward being a leader in the field of healthcare,” Duncan stated. “I am proud of the work we accomplished to pass 22 healthcare bills during the legislative session, but there is still much to be done. Now is the time to build on that momentum and find high-quality, affordable and accessible healthcare solutions. I am looking forward to working with this distinguished and diverse group of individuals to find common-sense solutions for all Georgians.”

The newly announced initiative is separate from state leaders’ effort to develop health care “waiver’’ proposals to be submitted to the federal government, according to coverage of the issue by Georgia Health News, www.georgiahealthnews.com. Waivers, if approved by the feds, would potentially increase Medicaid enrollment in Georgia and change how health coverage is provided to some individuals and families here.

Access to care is a major issue in Georgia, Georgia Health news reported. While the U.S. average of people without health coverage is 10.5 percent, Georgia’s rate is much higher, at 14.8 percent, fairly similar to that of other states that have not expanded Medicaid. (Most states have agreed to expansion.) Some counties in Georgia have uninsured rates of 30 percent or more, the website reported.

Georgia consistently ranks in the bottom half of states in terms of health care quality measures, the website reported. And recent reports have said that health care prices are high in metro Atlanta and Georgia.