Lt. Governor Burt Jones Prioritizes Funding for Georgia’s Hospitals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, June 9, 2026

ATLANTA | Lt. Governor Burt Jones wrote a letter to President Donald Trump and Dr. Mehmet Oz, CMS Administrator, in support of their ongoing efforts to address a fairer and more equitable wage index system under the Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS). Lt. Governor Jones encourages Congress to support these efforts to ensure that Georgia hospitals can have access to a financial benefit ranging from $150,000,000 to $245,400,000.

"Rural healthcare in Georgia and across our nation is in crisis," said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. "Estimates of proposed solutions indicate a financial benefit to Georgia, with hospitals in our threatened rural areas benefitting most. Addressing the wage index variability would bridge the healthcare gap by bringing back just a fraction of the money that has been taken from Georgia hospitals by those in California and New York under the Biden Administration. These changes could save healthcare, especially in our rural areas, where outcomes, sustainability, and access are most vulnerable. I am grateful for the Administration's leadership in advancing this transformative reform within Medicare and our nation's entire healthcare system."

The full text of the support letter is attached.