Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan announced the Task Force on Healthcare Access and Cost. The group will pinpoint improvements that can be made to tackle the cost and access burdens to healthcare across Georgia. Specially, the Task Force will evaluate: 1) price transparency and other free market solutions; 2) data and technology utilization; and 3) employer innovation. Duncan will chair the group, which will hold three meetings before the start of the legislative session in January.

“Georgia has taken huge steps toward being a leader in the field of healthcare,” Duncan stated. “I am proud of the work we accomplished to pass 22 healthcare bills during the legislative session, but there is still much to be done. Now is the time to build on that momentum and find high-quality, affordable and accessible healthcare solutions. I am looking forward to working with this distinguished and diverse group of individuals to find common-sense solutions for all Georgians.”

Members of the Task Force will include:

Chair, Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan

Senator Dean Burke, MD, Vice-Chairman of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee

Senator Gloria Butler, Member of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee

Senator Jack Hill, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee

Senator Kay Kirkpatrick, MD, Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee

Senator Ben Watson, MD, Chairman of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee

Ryan Loke, Special Projects Coordinator, Office of the Governor

Barbara Barrett, Director of Human Resources & Benefits, Langdale Industries, Inc.

Lance Boles, Pharm D., Hartwell Drugs

Jon Duke, MD, Director of Health Informatics, Georgia Tech

Gregory Esper, MD, MBA, Associate Chief Medical Officer, Emory Health Care

Clark Howard, Consumer Advocate

Toni P. Miles, MD, PhD, Professor of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of Georgia

Debra Stokes, Executive Director, Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center at Mercer University

Carie Summers, CFO and Senior Vice-President, Georgia Hospital Association

Jesse Weathington, Georgia Director, Total Spectrum

Meetings will be held on Thursday, September 5th; Wednesday, October 9th; and Tuesday, November 5th. All meetings will be streamed by the Senate Press Office. Additionally, the Lt. Governor will accept questions and moderate the discussion using Facebook Live. The first meeting will be held in the Georgia State Capitol, Room 450.