- Collection:
- Georgia Government Publications
- Serial:
- Press release.
- Title:
- Press release [Nov. 13, 2003B]
- Creator:
- Georgia. General Assembly. House. Public Information Office
- Contributor to Resource:
- Georgia. General Assembly. House. Public Information Office
- Publisher:
- Atlanta, Ga. : Georgia. General Assembly. House. Public Information Office
- Date of Original:
- 2003-11-13
- Subject:
- Georgia
- Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
- Medium:
- publications (documents)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- application/pdf
- Description:
- Open access; Unrestricted online access star GAGAL
July 29, 2002B; title from Georgia Government Publications citation, viewed September 19, 2007. - External Identifiers:
- Call Number GA L412 .P1 P7 2003/11-13B
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:dlg_ggpd_i-ga-bl412-b-pp1-bp7-b2003-s11-h13b-belec-p-btext
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/do:dlg_ggpd_i-ga-bl412-b-pp1-bp7-b2003-s11-h13b-belec-p-btext
- Language:
- eng
- Holding Institution:
- University of Georgia. Map and Government Information Library
- Rights:
-
11-1892-5046
Georgia House of Representatives Public Information Office
Room 131, State Capitol 30334 404-656-5082 1-800-282-5800
November 13, 2003
For Immediate Release
Gardner Challenges Health Execs, Small Business Activists to Search Out
Common Ground on Affordable Health Care
Atlanta State Representative Pat Gardner (D-Atlanta) convened the second hearing of the Task Force on Health Insurance Options for Small Businesses and the Uninsured with a room full of advocates from the entire health care spectrum. Participating in Thursday's meeting were providers such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Kaiser Permanente, academics from the Georgia State Andrew Young School of Public Policy, doctors, state insurance regulators, along with a number of small business and community representatives.
"The average emergency room doctor in this country performs $138,000 in uncompensated care each year. Hospitals absorb much of this, but for survival's sake they find ways to pass some of the cost on to insurance companies, who pass the cost on to their customers, which are most of us," said Rep. Gardner. "We're all in this together, and the sooner we realize that the better off our health care system, and our nation in general will be."
The meeting was mainly a question and answer period whereby representatives from each group explained their function, and the resources they can bring to the committee's goal, which is the exploration of new avenues to providing higher access to affordable quality healthcare within Georgia. However, Rep. Gardner expressed an intention to hold the experts to the grindstone, so to speak.
"We have an incredible amount of knowledge and experience in this room, and I want everyone to use those resources to be thinking about possible solutions and come to the next meeting ready to discuss some ideas about how we can make health care more accessible, and affordable to all Georgians," Gardner told the industry and community representatives. "I don't want narrow, territorial arguments, I want honest efforts at elevating the discussion and looking for true consensus."
"Any little bit of good-will and progress we make here can be built on in future efforts, and will certainly be to the benefit of all Georgians."
This was the second of four hearings to gather facts, and explore ideas. The Task Force will meet again on December 4th and again on December 11th where the committee will evaluate its findings, and create a report of its recommendations.
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For further information contact Rep. Gardner at 404-656-0305.