Signed by Governor Brian Kemp

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends transparency regarding the hospital Medicaid financing program.

Highlights:

• Requires non-profit hospitals to post the following information on their website and update it on July 1 of each year (Sec. 1):

• Copies of audited financial statements, which must have an independent opinion of a certified public accounting firm on the hospital’s most recent fiscal year, including, but not limited to:

• PDF of all audited financial statements;

• Note that identifies individual amounts for for the hospital’s gross patient revenue, allowances, charity care, and net patient revenue;

• Certain audited consolidated financial statements for hospitals with subsidiaries; and

• Audited consolidated financial statements for the hospital’s parent corporation.

• A copy of audited Internal Revenue Service Form 990 or alternative form; and

• A copy of Georgia’s annual hospital questionnaire;

• The community benefit report, if applicable;

• The disproportionate share hospital survey, if applicable;

• List of hospital property holdings and certain information regarding the properties and any ownership of a joint venture, partnership, subsidiary holding company, or captive insurance company;

• List of any outstanding debt, loans, or the like;

• A report on the ending fund balances of the net assets of the hospital and affiliates for each fiscal year;

• Copy of ongoing concern statements regarding the hospital;

• Most recent legal chart of corporate structure for hospital, affiliates, and parent corporation;

• Report listing top ten administrative salaries and fringe benefits;

• Accreditation by accrediting bodies; and

• Copy of the charity care and reduced cost services policies.

• Specifies that a failure to post the documentation required within 30 days of the required dates will be suspended from state funds and certain donations (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the Department of Community Health to enforce the Code (Sec. 1).

• Requires the Department of Community Health establish an operations manual for identifying rural hospitals and to rank rural hospital organizations in order of financial need based on certain standards (Sec. 3)

• Requires the department to post the following on its website, including, but not limited to (Sec. 3):

• A list of rural hospitals eligible for contributions;

• The operations manual;

• An annual report on hospital donations;

• The total amount received by each third party for providing a service to the hospital; and

• A link to the Department of Revenue’s website regarding certain information of the hospital.

• Extends the repeal date of this legislation to June 30, 2025 (Sec. 3).

• Specifies that any donations that are not specified to go to a certain hospital shall be given to the hospital ranked highest in terms of monetary need, independent of who collects the donation (Sec. 5).

• Requires third party solicitors, advertisers,or donation managers for hospitals to provide the complete list of rural hospitals eligible for the tax credit to any potential donor (Sec. 5).

• Requires the department to post information including, but not limited to (Sec. 5):

• All timelines related to the tax credit;

• The list and ranking order of rural hospital organizations based on need;

• Monthly progress reports; and

• A List of all preapproved contributions.

• Requires the department to perform an annual audit of the tax credit program (Sec. 5).

Full Bill Text