I support President Trump’s recently signed four pharmaceutical-related executive orders, especially his initiative to tie the Medicare Part B price of drugs to the lowest price received by other nations (“most favored nations” pricing). While it can be argued that his actions are political, they are still welcome. It should be noted that there’s still…
By Dr. Harry J. Heiman and Rodney Lyn It is now clear that COVID-19 is not an equal opportunity pandemic. As reflected in numerous reports by public health agencies, the media and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting communities of color — especially the African-American community — as well as other communities with barriers…
By Aaron D. Levine The national media have latched on to a recent Georgia Department of Public Health (GaDPH) chart that plotted dates in a confusing and potentially misleading order to mock the state and suggest it is cooking the books. Whether political considerations are interfering with public health reporting is an open question. What…
By Jack Bernard and Dr. Doug Skelton Government policies on “lockdown” and “reopening” are controversial, sometimes political. But however one feels about such specific issues, there is a real scientific basis for people’s anxiety during this time of COVID-19. For ordinary people, the fear of the virus itself produces stress. People also feel a sense of loss, because…
By Dr. George Leach Gov. Brian Kemp announced last week initial steps aimed at reopening Georgia’s economy. Beginning last Friday, his order allowed gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studios, barbers, cosmetologist, hair designers, nail care artists, estheticians and massage therapists to resume business, provided they comply with social distancing requirements. As an emergency…
By Dr. Shelby R. Wilkes With the rising number of cases in the United States and especially in hot spots such as New York City, Chicago and New Orleans, the imperative for access to testing and health care equity for all Americans is critical in the present pandemic of COVID-19. The rate of infection and mortality…
This Commentary was first published by the Philadelphia Inquirer By Fatima Syed, Deep Shah and Ravi Parikh Just a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic, many U.S. physicians feel that they are at war. War metaphors are now being invoked across the country. The president of the United States even declared himself a wartime leader. Media…
By Holly Lang There’s a famous quote by Mr. Rogers in which he recalls his mother telling him that in times of trouble, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” Across the state, COVID-19 is testing all of our communities and health systems – especially those primarily serving low-income and uninsured…
By Dr. Andrew Reisman, president of the Medical Association of Georgia There hasn’t been any shortage of media reports highlighting the number of Georgians who don’t have health insurance. But one key point that tends to get lost in the shuffle is that health insurance and access to care are separate and distinct issues. The…
By Gov. Brian Kemp Georgia is experiencing historic job growth and unmatched economic opportunity in every corner of the state. Participation in the job market is at record highs, unemployment recently dropped to a 20-year low, and we were named the “#1 State for Business” for the seventh year in a row. But even with…