08 LC 28
3924
Senate
Resolution 748
By:
Senators Shafer of the 48th, Staton of the 18th, Williams of the 19th, Moody of
the 56th, Tolleson of the 20th and others
ADOPTED
SENATE
A
RESOLUTION
Urging
the Grady Health System to adopt changes to its employee health benefits plan to
require or encourage its employees to utilize the Grady Health System for
primary health care; urging Fulton County and DeKalb County to consider changes
to their employee health benefits plans to encourage their employees to utilize
the Grady Health System for primary health care; urging the Grady Health System
to end its closed staff model and open credentialing to community doctors to
encourage other insured patients to utilize the services of the Grady Health
System for primary health care; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority operates Grady Memorial Hospital and
several affiliated clinics which are known together as the Grady Health System;
and
WHEREAS,
the Grady Health System is suffering substantial financial losses;
and
WHEREAS,
the financial losses experienced by the Grady Health System are in part
attributable to a patient mix that is largely devoid of insured or paying
patients; and
WHEREAS,
the Grady Health System pays approximately $18 million annually in health
insurance premiums to provide health care benefits for its over 5,000 employees;
and
WHEREAS,
many employees of the Grady Health System rely on physicians not affiliated with
the Grady Health System for primary health care; and
WHEREAS,
other large hospitals structure their employee health benefits programs to
require or encourage their employees to utilize the services of the hospital and
its physicians for primary health care.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body urge the
Grady Health System to adopt changes to its employee health benefits plan to
require or encourage its employees to utilize the Grady Health System for
primary health care; that Fulton County and DeKalb County to consider changes to
their employee health benefits plans to encourage their employees to utilize the
Grady Health System for primary health care; and that the Grady Health System
end its closed staff model and open credentialing to community doctors to
encourage other insured patients to utilize the services of the Grady Health
System for primary health care.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital
Authority and the governing authorities of Fulton and DeKalb counties.