Georgia HEART Hospital Program
The Georgia HEART Hospital Program is helping rural and critical access hospitals take advantage of an exciting opportunity to increase their funding and their ability to provide for the health care needs of thousands of Georgians!
For many years, due to demographic, economic, and health care industry challenges, Georgia’s rural hospitals have been facing a financial crisis. This crisis jeopardizes the access of rural Georgians to adequate health care.
In response, in 2016, the Georgia General Assembly passed, and Governor Nathan Deal signed into law, Senate Bill (“SB”) 258, legislation that, effective January 1, 2017, awards Georgia income tax credits to individual and corporate taxpayers who contribute to qualified rural hospital organizations (“RHOs”) located in Georgia.
Participation in the Georgia HEART Hospital Program is limited to Georgia rural hospitals that meet qualification criteria established in the law, including county population size (50,000 or less, excluding military personnel); tax-exempt status or public hospital authority management; acceptance of Medicare and Medicaid; and minimum annual provision of indigent or uncompensated care. In order to qualify, rural hospitals have to file a five-year plan with the Georgia Department of Community Health (“DCH”). Presently, the DCH has qualified 50 RHOs, 50 of which are participating in Georgia HEART. View a list of participating HEART hospitals.
