$60 Million Lifeline Cast To Georgia’s Rural Hospitals

Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle and Georgia House Speaker David Ralston issued a joint statement announcing that Georgia’s Rural Hospital tax credit reached its full donation cap for the first time ever.  This means that $60 million will be directed to 58 of Georgia’s most distressed rural hospitals.  The efforts of former state Representative Geoff Duncan (R-Cumming), who seems to be content spending more time slinging mud at his opponent than touting his own legislative achievements in the Republican run-off for lieutenant governor, in championing HB 769 has paid off for rural Georgia hospitals.  You can read the full presser below:

Today, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle & Speaker David Ralston announced that Georgia’s Rural Hospital tax credit reached its full donation cap for the first time ever – directing $60 million in funding to our state’s 58 most financially stressed rural hospitals. This year, Lt. Governor Cagle and Speaker Ralston championed HB 769, which lifted the value of the rural hospital tax credit to 100%. This initiative followed the General Assembly’s efforts to create the tax credit with SB 258 in 2016 and SB 180 in 2017, allocating $60 million in eligible annual funding for FY 2017-2021.

“Because of the tireless efforts of so many champions dedicated to saving our rural hospitals, we’ve made history by directing $60 million in funding to develop more sustainable, affordable, and higher quality health care facilities across our most rural communities,” said Lt. Governor Cagle.

“Leading with Governor Deal and Speaker Ralston, we’ve taken significant action that will benefit thousands of Georgians. Although Rural 180 is just a bridge to help local communities transition to more affordable ways of delivering quality care, this funding will make a vital difference in allowing hospitals that many of our families depend on to keep their doors open. We should continue building on this program’s success as we work to deliver true health care reform that lowers costs and increases access to quality care for Georgia families.”

“The General Assembly remains focused on ensuring quality healthcare is accessible in every corner of our state – including our rural communities,” said Speaker Ralston.

“I am proud to represent a rural area of Georgia in the House of Representatives. I know the hardships that rural healthcare providers can face, and I remain committed to working with Governor Deal and Lt. Governor Cagle to support rural providers as they adapt to the changing economics of the healthcare industry.”

Senator Dean Burke, a physician and rural hospital administrator with more than 30 years of experience, said: “This remarkable success for rural Georgia would not be possible without the dedicated leadership of Lt. Governor Cagle and Speaker Ralston. I’ve spent my life working to give rural Georgians access to quality health care and it’s been so rewarding to see how struggling hospitals in every corner of this state have used funds supported by Rural Healthcare 180 to bolster their workforces, facilities, and keep their doors open to continue serving our communities.”

“HB 769 is another example of how we are working together to improve existing programs and implement new measures to support rural healthcare,” said Representative Rick Jasperse. “This tax credit is the kind of program that really makes a positive difference for Georgians.”

The Rural Healthcare 180 Taskforce and Qualified Rural Hospital Organization Expense Tax Credit offer individuals and businesses access to $60 million in annual tax credits in exchange for directly donating to one of the 58 financially-stressed rural hospitals in Georgia. Thanks to HB 769 (2018), Georgia donors can qualify for credit on up to 100% of their state income tax liabilities through FY 2021. No one hospital can receive more than $4 million in donations each year. More information is available from the Georgia Department of Revenue.