The Georgia House of Representatives is looking to encourage migration to rural parts of the state, and part of its plan to do so includes increasing funding for micro-hospitals that serve rural populations, according to The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Legislators consider access to healthcare a key component of enticing residents to rural areas.While traditional rural hospitals face closures and increased profitability challenges, micro-hospitals can help offset these issues by offering select urgent care and inpatient services while operating more efficiently.
Another way lawmakers hope to increase healthcare access in rural regions is by eliminating the Certificate of Need requirement for urban hospitals, which restricts the ability of private companies to selectively operate profitable hospital services while maintaining that requirement for rural providers.