GA's rural hospitals teeter as solutions are debated

Eight rural hospitals in Georgia have closed or downsized and another 15 are teetering on the brink of closure and could be gone in the next year or two, according to a group representing rural hospitals. While some say expanding Medicaid could help, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said he is against expanding "entitlements" and would rather see more poor people get subsidies to buy private insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Rural hospitals have taken hits from every direction, from higher unemployment rates in their counties, to physician shortages, to Medicaid cuts that mean payment covers about 85 percent of costs, said Jimmy Lewis, the CEO of HomeTown Health LLC, which represents 70 rural hospitals in Georgia, Florida and South Carolina.