(GA. NEWS NETWORK)
*The Department of Community Health votes next month on proposed work and school rules for Medicaid. The agency’s proposal leaves HIV off the list of automatically exempt conditions, meaning affected patients would have to submit individual medical record paperwork to maintain coverage. Advocates say that added paperwork puts patients at risk of losing coverage that keeps their virus suppressed. Georgia has the nation’s second-highest HIV diagnosis rate behind Washington, D.C.
*Some wrongfully convicted persons are still waiting for the state to compensate them. Last year, Georgia lawmakers passed the Georgia Wrongful Conviction and Incarceration Compensation Act. Mario Stinchcomb and Michael Woolfolk, who were exonerated after nearly 19 years in prison, are still waiting for their compensation under the new law. 13 WMAZ reports that while some claimants have received their full compensation, others like Stinchcomb and Woolfolk have been told they may not receive the bulk of their awards until next year. The Georgia Office of the State Treasurer provided details on how the compensation program is being administered, but questions remain about the delay in payments for some claimants.
*Severe thunderstorms now cause more insured losses worldwide than hurricanes, with industry insurance data ranking Atlanta sixth nationally for hail claims. First Street, a climate risk firm reports that long-term climate data shows severe thunderstorm environments have expanded eastward and away from the Plains over recent decades, putting more of the Southeast at risk.
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