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PAGE 10A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. JANUARY 5. 2023
Georgia establishes its own health
insurance portal, Georgia Access
By Rebecca Grapevine
Staff Reporter
Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA-After failing
to win federal approval to
exit the federal insurance
marketplace earlier this year,
Georgia has established its
own health-insurance portal
directing people to private in
surers and brokers to buy
health insurance.
The new website, called
Georgia Access, includes
links to 10 health-insurance
companies - including big
players such as United,
Kaiser Permanente, and
Aetna - as well as seven on
line brokers, organizations
that help people shop for and
enroll in health insurance.
The dueling state and fed
eral websites each offer a dif
ferent route to the same
destination: signing up for
health insurance.
Georgians can use the
links on GeorgiaAccess.gov
to explore the insurance com
panies’ and brokers’ offer
ings, which include but are
not limited to the same mar
ketplace plans offered on the
federal website.
The new Georgia Access
site also includes links to
companies and brokers that
offer dental and vision plans,
basic information about
Medicaid and PeachCare for
Kids, and links to state
health-care agencies that as
sist with mental health.
But notably absent from
the state’s new portal is a link
to the federal
HealthCare.gov, a one-stop
shop for buying health insur
ance coverage through the
Affordable Care Act. The
HealthCare.gov website pro
vides comparisons of the dif
ferent companies' health
plans.
The state decided to set up
the GeorgiaAccess.gov portal
with the resources it had ini
tially devoted to its plan to
exit the federal marketplace,
said Gregg Conley, executive
counsel for the Georgia De
partment of Insurance.
Republican Gov. Brian
Kemp first sought permission
to exit the federal health in
surance marketplace back in
2020. But the Biden adminis
tration rejected the Georgia
plan earlier this year after
analyses showed it would
cover fewer, not more, Geor
gians than the federal mar
ketplace.
According to Georgia Ac
cess, 1.3 million Georgians
lack health insurance.
“I would encourage peo
ple to sign up for health [in
surance],” Conley said.
“What we don’t want is peo
ple not to have health care.”
But many advocates argue
that online brokers and pri
vate insurers are not the best
custodians of consumers’ in
terests.
Insurance companies and
brokers, most of which are
for-profit entities, may push
people to enroll in “substan
dard" plans that don’t cover
all services, Joan Alker, a re
search professor at George
town University, wrote
earlier this year.
Brokers may fail to help
people enroll in Medicaid or
other state health-insurance
plans for people with low in
comes and they may not ade
quately cater to the needs of
racial and ethnic minorities
and people who are not pro
ficient in English, Alker
wrote.
In Georgia, legislative De
mocrats have called for ex
panding Medicaid to address
the state’s large population of
uninsured people.
“Georgia should expand
Medicaid,” House Minority
Leader James Beverly, D-
Macon, said Wednesday. “I
am calling on the governor
and the Georgia legislature to
make it priority # 1 to ensure
every Georgian has access to
quality health-care benefits.”
Open enrollment for mar
ketplace plans ends on Jan.
15, 2023. That gives Geor
gians just two more weeks to
select their plans for next
year, whether through the
links provided on Geor-
giaAccess.gov or the federal
HealthCare.gov.
This story is available
through a news partnership
with Capitol Beat News Serv
ice, a project of the Georgia
Press Educational Founda
tion.
Obituaries (continued from page 9A)
Luce Beck
Blondell “Luce” Beck, 67, of Dawsonville passed away
Sunday, January 1, 2023 at Emory Johns Creek Hospital fol
lowing a brief illness.
Born August 2, 1955, Mrs. Beck had been a resident of
Dawson County for over 40 years. A member of Yellow
Creek Baptist Church, she worked at Sweet Orr in Daw
sonville until it closed and continued to work at Refrigiwear
in Dahlonega until her retirement in 2017. She had many
dear friends that she worked with through the years and was
a loving and devoted wife, mother, nanny, and sister.
Blondell was preceded in death by her parents, Punk and
Annie Blackwell and siblings, Stanley, “Peewee”, Jim,
“Tuney”, and Sheila.
Surviving are her beloved husband of 49 years, Garry
Beck of Dawsonville; daughter and son-in-law, Misty
(Chris) Ridings of Cumming; son and daughter-in-law,
Gavin (Amanda) Beck of Ball Ground; granddaughter, Anna
Beck of Dawsonville; brother and sister-in-law, Burt (Alisha)
Blackwell of Talking Rock; sister-in-law, Eva Mae Black-
well of Jasper; nieces, nephews and other relatives.
Funeral services will be held Friday, January 6, 2023 at 2
p.m. at Bearden Funeral Home Chapel. Rev. Leonard W.
Ridings and Stacy Watson will officiate.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from
12 noon until the hour of service.
In lieu of flowers donations be made to Yellow Creek
Baptist Church, C/O Curtis Roper, PO Box 325, Marble Hill,
GA 30148.
Condolences may be expressed at www.beardenfuneral-
home.com.
Bearden Funeral Home, Dawsonville, GA.
Denny Panter
Denny Kaye Panter, age
52, of Talking Rock, GA
passed away unexpectedly
on December 20, 2022 at
his residence. He was a na
tive of the Copper Basin
who was the son of the late
Herbert K. and Joan Orton
Panter. He graduated from
Copper Basin High School
in 1989. Denny had previ
ously worked for Toyota, Cc
mart in Jasper, GA as a Team Lead. Denny loved the Lord
and and especially loved his children in his words, "some
thing fierce." He enjoyed working outside especially in his
yard and rose garden. His passion for the outdoors extended
to spending time at the lake, cars, his feline companions,
Blondie and Boo; and his favorite music of the Rolling
Stones.
Preceding him in death was his parents and two brothers,
Gary Dale Panter and Roger Barry Panter.
Survivors include his loving wife, Cynthia Pierce Panter
of the home; son, Preston Trey "Kaye" Panter of Dalton, GA;
daughter, Tashina Panter (Ryan Galloway) of Copperhill,
TN; step-sons, Coty Garrett Burch and Dylan Beau Burch
both of Dalton, GA; siblings and their spouses, Larry Allen
Panter and Denise of Copperhill, TN, Darla Panter Patterson
and Jeff of Jackson, GA, Marla Panter Walker and Buddy of
Jackson, TN and Misti Lee Panter of Oregon; sisters-in-law,
Joy Holder Panter and Sharon Panter both of Copperhill, TN;
several nieces, nephews and a host of other relatives and
friends.
Funeral services were conducted on Monday, January 2,
2023 at 2 p.m. from the Akins-Cobb Copperhill Chapel with
Buddy Walker and Jeff Patterson officiating. Interment fol
lowed in the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Cemetery in Cop
perhill, TN with the following gentlemen serving as
pallbearers: Preston Panter, Mackie Pierce, Jr., Phillip Erwin,
Ryan Galloway, Coty Burch, Heath Panter, Brad Panter, and
Clay Patterson. Serving as honorary pallbearers were Ben
Walker and Richard Deaver.
Akins-Cobb Funerals & Cremations of Copperhill, TN
was in charge of the arrangements.
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Selina Hales
Selina Hales, 58, of
Jasper, Georgia, passed
away Monday, January 2,
2023 at her home. She was
born December 2, 1964 to
John Charlie Anderson and
Mildred Sue Sewell in Tate,
Georgia.
Selina is survived by her
husband, Ricky Hales of
Jasper; children, Ethan
Fields (Tiffany) of Jasper,
Emily Jones (Brett) of Jasper, Ellie Moody (Tim) of Cal
houn, Michael Hales (Kristi) of Jasper, Sierra Whitfield
(Trent) of Jasper; mother, Mildred Sewell of Jasper; siblings,
Stacey McClure (Jackie) of Jasper, Scrapper Sewell (Pam)
of Jasper, Tim Sewell (Jennifer); and 10 grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, Janu
ary 5, 2023 in the Chapel of Roper Funeral Home with Rev
erend Darryl Bailey, Reverend Nathan Smith, Reverend Josh
Alsobrook, Reverend Ricky Jarrett, and Brother Don Cagle
officiating. Interment will follow in the Refuge Baptist
Church Cemetery.
The family will be receiving friends at Roper Funeral
Home, Wednesday, January 4, 2023 from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m.
and Thursday, January 5, 2023 from 9 a.m. until the funeral
hour.
Arrangements are entrusted to the staff of Roper Funeral
Home and Crematory.
Free Old Newspapers
The Pickens Progress gives away old, unsold,
copies of the Progress on Thursday and Friday
afternoons when available.
These are great for gardening, pets and
cleanups.
We are happy to provide this service on a first
come, first serve basis on Thursday and Fri
days afternoons only.
Help Wanted
Tour Guides, Greeters
Those interested in history
The Pickens Historical Society is looking
to expand hours and operations
at the Old Jail on Main Street.
If you like meeting people
and getting involved, con-
sider volunteering for this
fun, interesting local group.
dt/idmiM/iMiAfi
a attikktdm-
ImMmmitmik,
orfind uson Facebook
Pickens Historical Society
School board to hold
orientation meeting Jan. 5th
The Pickens County will be taken.
Board of Education will meet This meeting will be held
on January 5th, beginning at at the Pickens County Board
8:30 a.m. for a called work of Education Central Office,
session to complete Local 100 D.B. Carroll Street,
Board Orientation. No action Jasper, Georgia.
Pickens County Schools Called Board Work Session
01/05/2023 08:30 AM
Pickens County Board of Education
Printed: 12/15/2022 2:23 PM ET 100 D.B. Carroll Street
Jasper, Georgia 30143
The Pickens County Board of Education will meet on January 5th, beginning at 8:30 AM for a called wor
session to complete Local Board Orientation. No action will be taken.
I. Work Session - Local District Orientation
II. Greeting - Interim Superintendent Dr. Janet Goodman
III. Dr. Steve Miletto - Executive Director of North Georgia RESA
IV. Amy Smith - Chief Financial Officer
V. Interim Superintendent Janet Goodman
For sale - Old general
store display case ap
prox. 6 feet long, chest
high. Two levels. Photo
will not do it justice. Age
and history unknown.
Glass is old, not suitable
for public use.
$250 - owned by Pickens Historical Society. Money
will go to further work at Old Jail.
Call 770-894-1709 to arrange to see in person.
The Republican Dilemma
Republicans now have
the majority in the U.S.
House of Representa
tives, so they have op
tions:
1. A positive agenda:
passing legislation that
does something positive
for their constituents.
That is, things that will
make their constituents’
lives better. Since De
mocrats control the U.S.
Senate, that legislation
also must pass the Sen
ate and be signed into
law by the President.
This will require compro
mise by both political
parties.
2. A negative agenda:
blocking any legislation
passed by the Demo
cratic U.S. Senate. That’s
easy to do: 218 of the
222 Republicans in the
House only have to say
“no” or simply fail to act.
3. An agenda that
serves their campaign
donors: This is the Re
publican tradition. Every
Republican administra
tion—with control of the
White House and both
houses of Congress—
has (a) passed tax cuts
for corporations and the
wealthy and (b) cut reg
ulations to allow corpora
tions to operate as they
please, that is, without
those annoying rules.
But such a lop-sided
agenda is unlikely to
pass the Democratic
U.S. Senate.
Here’s the dilemma:
A. Traditionally, people
who identify as conser
vatives believe that there
is little that government
(at any level) needs to
do, since most issues
can be solved through
“the market.” That is,
people, businesses, and
other entities that spend
money can decide
everything by how they
choose to spend (or not
spend) their money.
Government still is nec
essary for a few things—
national defense, a legal
system (courts), a mone
tary system.
B. But government also
makes rules for “the mar
ket,” since no other entity
has the authority to make
and enforce rules. Rules
on monopoly, for exam
ple, prevent big corpora
tions from buying up all
their competitors and
charging customers any
thing they like—which
would eliminate “the
market” for whatever that
monopoly produced.
C. Markets, by definition,
require choice—people
must have the ability to
choose among two or
more comparable things.
For example, can a per
son choose between
buying an object made
in, say, China and a
comparable object
made in the U.S.A.? If no
manufacturer or seller of
fers that choice (or not at
a price difference that
the person is willing to
pay), then “the market” is
not a solution. (The
choice has already been
made by manufacturers
who decided that it was
cheaper for them to
move their production to,
say, China—as well as
the jobs making that
product.) So government
becomes involved in
making rules—that is,
legislation—about trade.
What products made
elsewhere should be al
lowed into this country
and on what terms, and
what products made
here will other countries
allow us to sell there?
So, a positive agenda
must accept the need for
government action and,
in the current Congres
sional circumstances,
compromise.
An agenda that mostly
serves big campaign
donors won’t be seen by
both parties as fair to vot
ers, so...no compromise.
A negative agenda
means that nothing re
quiring legislation hap
pens until after 2024
(except the annual Fed
eral budget—room for
economy-crashing “dis
ruption” there). If any
thing in the U.S.
economy or in U.S. soci
ety is not what voters
want it to be, that will be
put on hold. (The excep
tion to “nothing,” of
course, is in the judiciary
system. It’s unknown
what the current majority
of the U.S. Supreme
Court will change next,
since they’ve decided
that they aren’t subject to
past interpretations of
the U.S. Constitution or,
since they serve for life,
to voters’ preferences.)
So what will the Re
publicans in the U.S.
House choose to do? A
negative agenda ap
pears likely, since there
is a significant group
who believe that their
reputations for “disrup
tion” (lots of yelling) got
them elected. This
means two years of
yelling about how bad
Democrats are and how
(per January 6, 2021)
everything should be
brought crashing down.
Nothing will happen ex
cept that.
Then, in 2024, what
will Republicans tell vot
ers? “Look what we did
(since 2022)! Now give
us the Senate and the
White House, and we’ll...
uh, be better than the
Democrats; we’ll...uh, do
stuff. (Elect us first, then
we’ll tell you what we’ll
do.)”
Paid for by the
Pickens County
Democratic Committee,
https ://pickensdemoc-
rats.org
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PICKENS DEMOCRATS