Legislation exempting most rural hospitals from Georgia’s certificate of need law cleared the state Senate Monday. Senators voted 42-13 to no longer require proposed new acute-care hospitals in counties with populations of fewer than 50,000 residents to have to prove to the state that the medical services they plan to offer are needed in their community. The legislation requires rural hospitals exempted from the CON law to accept both Medicare and Medicaid enrollees and dedicate at least 10% of their incomes to indigent care.  There is a second bill in the Georgia Senate that would do away CON rules for all hospitals.

Compiled Reports / GNN