Governor Sonny Perdue's controversial proposal to impose a fee on hospitals and health care providers across Georgia was questioned today by lawmakers. Community Health Commissioner Dr. Rhonda Meadows, who supports the plan, testified in budget hearings.
Perdue plans to tax hospitals 1.6 percent of their revenues to fill a more than $400 million shortfall facing Georgia's medicaid program. Meadows says that she has made cuts in Medicaid and Peachcare where possible, but without the tax the programs simply do not have enough money.
"If we don't have the tax, we still have that $423 million hole. That is huge, that is huge."
Meadows says that the fee would add roughly $60 dollars annually to the average health insurance plan. Meadows also projects that this year, 130,000 more people will enroll in Medicaid and Peachcare as a result of high unemployment rates.
Perdue plans to tax hospitals 1.6 percent of their revenues to fill a more than $400 million shortfall facing Georgia's medicaid program. Meadows says that she has made cuts in Medicaid and Peachcare where possible, but without the tax the programs simply do not have enough money.
"If we don't have the tax, we still have that $423 million hole. That is huge, that is huge."
Meadows says that the fee would add roughly $60 dollars annually to the average health insurance plan. Meadows also projects that this year, 130,000 more people will enroll in Medicaid and Peachcare as a result of high unemployment rates.
