How Ga. lawmakers are working to boost rural hospitals
ATLANTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - State lawmakers want to encourage hospitals to build and expand in rural Georgia.
One way to do that would be increasing tax breaks for rural hospitals and expanding who would qualify.
Twenty-six percent of Georgians live in rural counties. Nine rural hospitals have closed in Georgia since 2010. Georgia is third in the nation for the most closures.
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Anna Adams with the Georgia Hospital Association is encouraging state senators to change the state’s “certificate of need” program again to make enforcement and wording clearer.
A certificate of need is a regulatory step to determine whether a new hospital is actually needed.
For example, a certificate of need is what is allowing Wellstar to build a new hospital in Columbia County – a process that was delayed by years due to a court battle from Doctors Hospital.
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Jacquelyn Harn with Americans for Prosperity said her group would rather see a full repeal of certificates of need.
“But we believe this is a good step forward to make sure that people receive the care they need,” said Harn.
Monty Veazey with the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals feels more should be done.
“Short of Medicaid expansion, I don’t know,” said Veazey. “These hospitals need cash flow, and that would provide cash flow.”
A state Senate has approved a change in the “certificate of need” program for hospitals and surgery centers. The bill ed through the House with bipartisan , and a Senate committee headed by Republican state Sen. Bill Cowsert made additional changes.
“What is clear is we have to make a change,” said Cowsert. “These current laws are not working. We don’t want rural hospitals to close, and where they have closed, we want them to reopen.”
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