About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 2020)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26,2020 | $1.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com Honestly Local Senate tackles surprise medical bills Ga. bill would require insurers to pay for care by doctor, hospital not in patient’s network ‘This is a very carefully crafted solution with many, many hours of work by the governor’s staff, the lieutenant governor’s staff, the House and Senate.’ Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome BY BEN NADLER AND SUDHIN THANAWALA Associated Press ATLANTA — Georgia’s state Senate passed legislation Monday that would protect some patients from receiving unexpected medi cal bills. The legislation, passed unani mously, would require insurers in many cases to pay for care by a doctor or at a hospital that is not within their network of medi cal providers. It also would limit patient liability for any costs. Lawmakers have been work ing on legislation to limit surprise billing for several years without success. But the effort has gained momentum this session. State House and Senate members work ing on the issue have come to a con sensus — a mirror bill is advancing in the House — and Gov. Brian Kemp has identified the issue as one of his top priorities for the year. “This is a very carefully crafted solution with many, many hours of work by the governor’s staff, the lieutenant governor’s staff, the House and Senate,” Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, a Republican from Rome who sponsored the bill, said Monday. Sen. Ben Watson, a Savannah Republican, said during a com mittee hearing for the bill that he would consider the session a “failed” one if surprise billing leg islation didn’t get passed. Surprise bills, which can run up to tens of thousands of dollars, can come about when patients in an emergency end up at a hos pital that’s not in their insurer’s network. Or a patient may have surgery at a hospital in network, but an anesthesiologist or other doctor that helped with the proce dure is not in network. The legislation would protect patients from financial responsi bility beyond what they would nor mally have to pay in coinsurance, a copay or deductible. Roughly 1 of every 6 emergency room or hospital visits results in a surprise medical bill, accord ing to a study released last year by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. Over half the states in the U.S. have laws that prohibit or limit surprise billing. But like the pro posal in Georgia, their reach is limited because states don’t have jurisdiction over most health plans sponsored by large employ ers. Those plans cover about 100 million people and operate under federal law. Jaycees Young Man of the Year Phil Bonelli has been named the Gainesville Jaycees Young Man of the Year. SCOTT ROGERS I The Times Bonelli works to uplift youth, create pathways out of poverty BY KELSEY P0D0 kpodo@gainesvilletimes.com Many who meet Phil Bonelli leave with an extra pep in their step. “He has this way of connect ing with people that you don’t find very often,” Matt Wojtec- zko, director of resource development at United Way of Hall County, said. “When he’s speaking, whether in English or Spanish, he makes you feel comfortable. He’s a super uplifting and encourag ing guy.” Bonelli, who was recently named the Jaycees Young Man of the Year, works as the senior vice president of Regions Commercial Banking in Gainesville. When he’s not providing financial services and strategic advice to large businesses across Northeast Georgia, Bonelli is motivat ing local youth, creating path ways out of poverty for people or making decisions on the Elachee Board of Trustees. Bonelli said his full-time job and much of his volunteer work sparked from seizing Up next for Thursday’s paper: The Times features the Young Woman of the Year, Katie Dubnik. unexpected opportunities. He started banking in December 2007, the month the Great Recession started. That led to him volunteering to give a talk about balanc ing a checkbook at a middle school, which helped him realize his passion for speak ing to local youth through the Junior Achievement of North east Georgia and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lanier. “I speak to a lot of young people, and they’re always nervous about what they’re supposed to do with their life,” Bonelli said. “I tell them, go into a route that you’re talented in and see what happens. That’s what happened to me. It wasn’t a grand plan, but I very much love what I get to do.” Several times a year ■ Please see BONELLI, 7A Lanier Islands Parkway work delayed again BY JEFF GILL jgill@gainesvilletimes.com The completion of improvements to Lanier Islands Parkway in South Hall has been delayed until late April because of too much cold, rainy weather this winter. “There’s not an official date right now, as we are still evaluating the weather chart at this time,” Georgia Department of Transportation district spokeswoman Katie Strickland said. However, the DOT hopes to have the final asphalt topping down by the end of February, she said. ■ Please see PARKWAY, 9A GoFundMe set up for victim in weekend wreck BY JEFF GILL jgill@gainesvilletimes.com AND NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com Samantha Loggins, of Sautee Nacoochee was out driving Saturday with her two children to pick up a cake for her boyfriend’s birthday and cookout supplies. She stopped on Ga. 11 at Joe Turner Road when Gary Olsen, 53, of Cleveland, stopped his Toyota Tundra to turn left, according to Georgia State Patrol and Loggins. A. Loggins Heather Morgan, 30, of Cler mont, “was following too closely” and ended up hitting Loggins’ car in the rear, according to GSP. “I never saw the car until after I came to ... None of the doors open in my vehicle,” Loggins said. Loggins’ 2-year-old daughter Ava, who was sleeping, was flown by helicopter to Children’s ■ Please see WRECK, 4A 0 40901 06835 INSIDE Advice 6B Business 5B Classified 8B Comics 7B Lottery 2A 8 Opinion 8A WEATHER 2A Lake Lanier level: 1,076.38 feet Full pool 1,071. 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