ATLANTA (March 5, 2010) – Sen. Preston Smith (R-Rome) has been named the 2010 Legislator of the Year by the Georgia Society of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (GSASC) for his work this session to reform Georgia’s health care system using consumer and patient-focused solutions. Smith was honored during the center’s semi-annual meeting in Atlanta, which brings together professionals in ambulatory surgery centers from both Georgia and South Carolina.
“Health care and health insurance must become more consumer-driven if we want to bring down costs and improve patient care,” said Smith. “My goal is to pass legislation that reforms Georgia’s health care system so that at the end of the 2010 Legislative Session, we have the tools to expand access to affordable health care that encourage more options in the market. The state is facing an unprecedented budget shortfall, and families and businesses across Georgia are struggling to survive in this economic climate. We must continue the fight to improve the health care environment for Georgia’s patients and health care providers.”
Smith was chosen for his efforts in advocating for patients and the highest quality of health care. He has introduced a package of health insurance reform legislation to address issues from all sides of the health care spectrum, from health care providers, hospitals, physicians and individual consumers and employers. He’s working to establishing legislative oversight of Medicaid and Care Management Organizations (CMO), which manage the delivery of Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids services to patients.
Such reforms include prohibiting health insurance companies from unjustly canceling health insurance “rescissions”, extending health insurance coverage benefits to dependents up to age 25, eliminating annual and lifetime caps on insurance policies, and expanding access and lowering cost for small businesses to offer affordable group health insurance to their employees.
Additionally, he’s working to establish legislative oversight of Medicaid and Care Management Organizations (CMOs) and is the leading co-sponsor of legislative measures to increase competition by purchasing insurance across state lines, requiring transparency in the payment of insurance health claims, and establishing a constitutional amendment to protect Georgians’ health care options.
Smith was also the meeting’s featured speaker to talk about pending state and national health care issues including health insurance reform, Certificate of Need (CON) reform, civil justice reform, CMO reform and other health care issues.
Dr. Sid Moore, past president of GSASC, noted, “Senator Smith is a champion for health care in Georgia. The reason is obvious, he places the best interest of patients above all other interests. The citizens of Georgia are lucky to have him as an advocate and the ambulatory surgery centers are lucky to have him as a friend.”
GSASC is dedicated to pursuing medical, legal, nursing and patient care issues impacting citizens and ambulatory surgery centers in Georgia. The organization provides a strong, unified voice on issues of concern to ambulatory surgery centers, supporting their growth and working to promote excellence in outpatient care with a commitment to access, quality, and cost containment.
Sen. Preston Smith serves as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. He represents the 52nd Senate District which includes Floyd County and portions of Bartow and Gordon counties. He may be reached by phone at 404.656.0034 or by e-mail at preston.smith@senate.ga.gov.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
March 5, 2010
For Information Contact:
Raegan Weber, Director
Kallarin Richards, Senior Communications Specialist
kallarin.richards@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028