GEORGIA RURAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION'S 2012 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
2012 R.U.R.A.L. Legislative Agenda
The Georgia Rural Health Association (GRHA) is the oldest state rural health association in the country. Founded in 1981, this nonprofit network of healthcare providers, educators, and individuals is united in its commitment to improve the health and healthcare services of rural Georgians. Of Georgia’s 159 counties, 109 are considered rural, and with a population of 1.7 million they differ greatly from the urban areas of the state. To help meet their unique healthcare needs, our 2012 R.U.R.A.L. Legislative Agenda is as follows:
Raise Medicaid Reimbursement Rate – The state of Georgia has not increased the Medicaid reimbursement rate to providers in ten years. In 2011 the rate was cut by .05 percent. Rural providers treat a large portion of Medicaid patients but because of low payments it is becoming less financially viable to participate in the program. The state of Georgia has a Primary Care shortage and cutting the Medicaid reimbursement rate will only exacerbate the problem. A top priority for the Georgia Rural Health Association is raising the Medicaid reimbursement rate.
Upgrade and Expand Trauma Care Network –Georgia needs a dedicated funding stream for trauma care. Our state faces a crisis in providing trauma care to its citizens, particularly rural Georgians where millions are at least 2 hours away from receiving emergency care. Completely funding an enhanced trauma care network with a stable revenue source would lead to not only improved healthcare, but economic development and jobs, for rural Georgia. Having a dedicated funding source to upgrade and expand Georgia’s Trauma Care Network is a top priority for the Georgia Rural Health Association.
Reinvest in Primary Care–Rural Georgia has a shortage of primary care doctors and in the next ten years a third are expected to retire which will affect the quality of care in Georgia. GRHA supports the development of primary care residency positions; creating a sustainable and integrated data collection system for health care providers; developing a tax credit for primary care physicians who serve as community based faculty for Georgia medical student rotations; funding a grant incentive program to develop primary care and / or rural training tracks in Georgia medical schools; and, creating provider recruitment marketing resources for rural communities to utilize when seeking to recruit new providers.
Advocate for Rural Health Safety Net Program - GRHA supports the Georgia Rural Health Safety Net Program through the Georgia Department of Community Health and State Office of Rural Health. This program is for the development and sustainability of Georgia’s rural health care delivery system targeting Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), rural and Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), rural health networks and other essential components of the health care delivery system. GRHA will work to ensure that the Department of Community Health, the Department of Public Health, and Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Services are adequately funded, and those services are sufficiently available to rural Georgians.
Lower Smoking Rates - Estimates show that raising the sales tax on cigarettes by $1.00 would decrease teen smoking rates by 16 percent and increase state revenue by $350 million. The state could allocate the additional funds for upgrading Georgia’s trauma care network or increasing the Medicaid reimbursement rate. GRHA supports an increase in the sales tax on cigarettes to $1.00 per pack.
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