About The wiregrass farmer. (Ashburn, Ga.) 1984-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 2016)
Page 2 - The Wiregrass Farmer, January 20,2016 Obamacare rattling businesses Part of the federal Oba macare package has increased reporting duties for employers like the Board of Education. Among other things, the school system has to turn in a monthly report on what health care insurance options are available to employees. “God, I hate it for you,” said School Superintendent Jeff McDaniel when discussing it with the board last week. “This has got businesses in a tail- spin.” The reporting is not the problem. The penalties are the problem, he said. “The penalties are ex tremely steep if we get it wrong. It’s up to $2200 per Care Alliance Care Alliance was selected as one of 100 new Medicare Shared Savings Program Ac countable Care Organizations (ACOs), providing Medicare beneficiaries with access to high-quality, coordinated care across the United States, the Centers for Medicare & Medi caid Services (CMS) an nounced today. That brings the total to 434 Shared Savings Program ACOs serving over 7.7 million beneficiaries. Formed by Tift Regional Health System (TRHS), local physicians and other providers, Care Alliance will be one of 434 ACOs participating in the Shared Savings Program as of Jan. 1,2016. Doctors, hospi tals and health care providers establish ACOs in order to work together to provide higher-quality coordinated care to their patients, while helping to slow health care cost growth. “Healthcare organizations must focus on specific areas to reduce costs and benefit pa tients,” said William T. Richardson, TRHS employee per month,” he said. “If we miss somebody or don’t put somebody in the right place...” Because of this, the superin tendent recommended the board contract with Shaw Han kins, a company that special izes in making these reports. It will cost the school system $5,600 a year. “It is money well-spent. It is a small fee to Shaw Hankins,” he said. “There was a lot of whittling down on that price.” The first price was close to $9,000. It comes with a guarantee. If the central office provides all the right information and does what Shaw Hankins says to do, President/CEO. “The new Care Alliance ACO will help healthcare providers work alongside one another and more effectively communicate amongst each other to treat pa tients, whether it be in a hospi tal, long-term care facility or in an office setting. This will help enhance coordination of care, decrease healthcare costs and provide incentives for providers through the Medicare Shared Savings Pro gram.” Beneficiaries seeing health care providers in ACOs always have the freedom to choose doctors inside or outside of the ACO. ACOs receive a portion of the Medicare savings gener ated from lowering the growth in health care costs as long as they also meet standards for high quality care. “People across America are going to be better cared for when they go to their health care providers, because these hospitals and providers have made a commitment to innova tion, a commitment to change how they do business and care Shaw Hankins will pay any penalty. “They said they assume lia bility. If they mess it up, they are responsible for any fee,” Dr. McDaniel said. “We can’t afford to get it wrong. A cleri cal error, it doesn’t matter. It is what they put in the report.” “We can’t afford to not get it right,” said Board Member Ann Kendrick. Dr. McDaniel said he plans on having the contract for one year. During that time he hopes the central office will learn how to do the reports. If not, the contract can be renewed. “It really protects the sys tem,” he said. for patients,” HHS Secretary Sylvia Matthews Burwell said. “Medicare, and the health care system as a whole, is moving toward paying providers based on the quality, rather than just the quantity of care they give patients. The three new ACO initiatives that are being launched today mark an impor tant step forward in this effort.” Since ACOs first began par ticipating in the program in early 2012, thousands of health care providers have signed on to participate in the program, working together to provide better care to Medicare’s sen iors and people with disabili ties. The new and renewing ACOs will bring approxi mately 15,000 additional physicians into the ACO pro gram starting Jan. 1,2016. ACOs are delivering better care, and they continue to show promising results on cost savings. In 2014, they had a combined total net program savings of $411 million for 333 Medicare Shared Savings Pro gram ACOs and 20 Pioneer ACOs. aims to improve healthcare TRANSFER TO WESLEYAN TO EARN YOUR BSN Close to home, affordable, and nationally recognized. The deadline to apply for our Fall 2016 Nursing program is February 1. For further information, please contact Brittney at 478-757-2830. Financial aid and merit scholarships are available. www.wesleyancollege.edu/nursing WESLEYAN NURSING Believe, Learn, Serve www.wesleyancollege.edu/apply NOW OPEN Liberty Tax held a ribbon cutting and reopening last week. Michael Cling, interim police chief in Sycamore, is sworn in by mayor Wayne Woodruff. New Public Works Director Shawn Dupree looks on. SPD (Continued from Page 1) Chief Daabes’ tenure in Sycamore has been turbulent, almost since she was hired. At one point Mayor Wayne Woodruff asked for her resig nation or the Council to fire her. SHERIFF ON THE CHIEF After the meeting, Sheriff Andy Hester spoke to the Council about his department and the Sycamore PD. “I am going to get along with whoever you have as chief. My biggest friction will be if you have someone who doesn’t know what to do,” he said. “Our ability to get along... depends on their abil ity to do the job. I want to get along with whoever you hire.” The sheriff said the new chief needs to know the law and have management experi ence. Councilman Galt-Brown asked if Sheriff Hester, the Ashburn Police Chief and Sycamore Police Chief could meet regularly to discuss law enforcement in the community. Ashburn is also looking for a new police chief as James Davis, on his second term as chief in Ashburn, is fully retir ing in March. “We sit down and talk often,” Sheriff Hester said of Chief Davis. He said all Public Safety departments in Turner County meet together regu larly. That kind of cooperation didn’t happen when Daabes was in office in Sycamore. “I don’t think she’d put me out if I was on fire,” he said. Mayor Woodruff said for mer Chief Daabes had not clocked in to work since Jan. 6. “I do not know what is going on. I have not known in four months anyway,” he said. DEPOSIT (Continued from Page 1) two simultaneous options: • Direct Deposit • Pre-loaded debit cards “It takes a lot of man-hours to run payroll and we are still distributing paper check stubs to everybody,” he said. “We need a secure portal for people to log into to get their stubs and W2.” Board member Sandra Blue said she’s familiar with that process. “That’s what our company changed to a few years ago. They want you to have Direct Deposit. It is a big savings. It saves a lot of manpower,” she said. Cornelius Ball said, before any change is made, the em ployees need to be asked. “It’s their check,” he said. “That’s the point of starting the process. It doesn’t mean it goes anywhere,” Dr. McDaniel said. “There are a lot of things than can save time and money. Every little bit helps in a tight budget.” DEBIT CARD He wants the card option so people who don’t have a bank account won’t be forced to get one. “We’re not pushing any body to have Direct Deposit,” he said. “The pre-loaded debit card will be loaded at the cen tral office. You will see your check on that debit card.” If someone loses their card, “there might be a small fee to replace the debit card,” Dr. McDaniel said. NIPPER (Continued from Page 1) retirement presentation. Their attendance pushed the meeting room to beyond capacity as people had to stand and kneel in the room. “The City was founded in 1891. The first employee we had was Jerry Nipper,” joked Mayor Wayne Woodruff. “I have got to rag Jerry a little bit. You don’t know how much I appreciate him.” Mr. Nipper’s pastor, Larry Dean from Morningside Bap tist Church, was also in the au dience. “To me, Sycamore is the center of the earth. It is be cause of the people. One of those people is Jerry Nipper, also known as Mr. Sycamore,” Pastor Dean said. “If you get past the gruff outside of him, you find he’s got a heart as big as Sycamore.” For his part, Mr. Nipper was very thankful for the gifts, the people and the opportunity to help people. That said, he also noted he made some folks upset. “I cut a bunch of people’s water off over 33 years. They got mad at me,” he said. “I ap preciate working here 30- something years. I’ve been through a few mayors and quite a few councilmen. I had my butt chewed out plenty of times.” POLICY CHANGE On the occasion of Mr. Nip per’s retirement, the Council also changed the City’s person nel policy. The “Jerry Nipper” amendment allows someone who has worked for the City for 25 years or more to work part time and have the City pay for health insurance. It’s not a requirement on the Council, but an option. HOUSING AUTHORITY CITY OF ASHBURN REQUEST FOR BIDS The Housing Authority of the City of Ashburn is ac cepting bids for lawn maintenance services. All in terested bidders may pick up a bid package at the Housing Authority located at 200 Perry Drive, Of fice 412, Ashburn, Ga. between the hours of 7:30 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. Monday through Thursday. Bids must be received at the Ashburn Housing Au thority Office by 10:00 A.M. February 29, 2016. Successful bidder must meet all eligibility require ments set forth by the Housing Authority. The Hous ing Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids.
