Signed by Governor Sonny Perdue

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that modifies the state's "certificate of need" requirements to allow destination cancer hospitals to operate in the state.

Highlights:

- Defines a "destination cancer hospital" as a hospital that offers diagnostic, therapeutic, treatment and rehabilitative care to cancer patients, with a maximum licensed bed capacity of 50, and with 65 percent of patient residing outside of Georgia (Sec 1). - Exempts destination cancer hospitals from having to obtain a certificate of need for new institutional health services (Sec. 2). - Requires destination cancer hospitals to provide uncompensated charity care for indigent residents of Georgia, with the costs of such care representing at least three percent of the hospital's annual adjusted gross revenue [sec 3 (c)]. - Fines destination cancer hospitals $1 million if their annual out-of-state patient occupancy falls below the 65 percent minimum. The funds will be deposited into the Indigent Care Trust Fund [sec 3 (c.1)]. - Requires the application to establish a destination cancer hospital to document that its operations will not adversely affect existing hospitals in the area. The impact is considered adverse if an existing hospital's average annual utilization decreases by 10 percent or more [sec. 4 (b.1) (7)]. - This is a substitute bill sponsored by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

Full Bill Text