Proposed 'bed tax' could kill rural hospitals

Georgia's rural hospital industry would collapse under proposed 1.6 percent "bed tax," legislators were told Wednesday.

"As many as 20 rural hospitals could be lost in a very short time," said Jimmy Lewis, CEO of HomeTown Health, an organization of rural and small hospitals. "We've got to be sure we don't decimate an industry."

Originally proposed last session, House Bill 307 proposes a 1.6 percent provider fee for hospitals and health insurance providers. Industry officials call it a "bed tax."


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