Medical

Early in my career, before I understood the employee benefits industry, I had a situation that completely changed how I think about healthcare decisions. I remember having a minor issue that could have easily been handled through a primary care visit or urgent care. Instead, I went straight to the emergency room because it felt like the safest and fastest option at the time. A few weeks later, I received the bill. What I thought would be a simple visit turned into a significantly higher cost than expected. It wasn’t

A new program to improve maternal health in nine rural counties is expected to have a ripple effect on healthcare systems in Augusta. The Rural Healthcare Access Partnership (RHAP), funded by a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration is part of Wellstar MCG’s Rural Community Consortium. It is available in Jefferson, Burke, Emanuel, Washington, Glascock, Warren, McDuffie, Jenkins, and Johnson counties. Those have been defined as Maternity Care Deserts. “By that we mean that they may not have access to a OB or GYN provider

Before working in the employee benefits industry in Augusta, I was like many employees — I didn’t fully understand how health insurance actually worked. I remember seeing my monthly payroll deduction for health insurance and then hearing that our rates were going up again the following year. Like many people, I assumed insurance companies were simply raising prices because they could. (Which is not completely wrong.) At one point, after reaching my maximum out-of-pocket for the year, I remember thinking, “Well, if everything is free now, I might as well

“Transparency” has become one of the most overused buzzwords in the Augusta area. It appears in business marketing materials, corporate mission statements, and political talking points. In many cases, it sounds good but doesn’t actually change much. In health insurance, however, transparency isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a necessity. Healthcare costs continue to rise every year, and many employers feel like they have very little control over those increases. The truth is, the only way to understand what is actually driving healthcare costs—and how to manage them—is through transparency. Without clear

A partnership with the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center (GCITC), Augusta University (AU), the Advanced Technology and Development Center, and the Georgia Institute of Technology (GT) brought together a diverse group of individuals for a workshop at GCITC. ABD first highlighted the effort to accelerate medical device innovation and commercialization in our Friday issue.  In the news release announcing the event, Dr. Guido Verbeck, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at AU, said academia is a fantastic platform for launching ideas. “But there must be an understanding of how to