Georgia Heart Hospital Program

The Georgia HEART Hospital Program is helping rural and critical access hospitals take advantage of an exciting new opportunity to increase their funding and their ability to provide for the health care needs of thousands of Georgians! For many years, due to demographic, economic, and health care industry challenges, Georgia’s rural hospitals have been facing a financial crisis. This crisis jeopardizes the access of rural Georgians to adequate health care. In response, in 2016, the Georgia General Assembly passed, and Governor Nathan Deal signed into law, Senate Bill (“SB”) 258, legislation that, effective January 1, 2017, awards Georgia income tax credits to individual and corporate taxpayers who contribute to qualified rural hospital organizations (“RHOs”) located in Georgia. Participation in the Georgia HEART program is limited to Georgia rural hospitals that meet qualification criteria established in the law, including county population size (50,000 or less, excluding military personnel); tax-exempt status or public hospital authority management; acceptance of Medicare and Medicaid; and minimum annual provision of indigent or uncompensated care. From 2018 through 2024, Georgia taxpayers can access $60 million of RHO tax credits each year, with each qualified RHO having access to $4 million of tax credits (until the total annual $60 million cap is met).