Ga. Code Ann. § 31-7-280

Annual report

Each health care provider, defined as a licensed hospital, ambulatory surgery or obstetrical facility, must submit an annual report of health care information to the Department of Community Health.  The report must contain the following information:

• Total gross revenues;
• Bad debt;
• Amount of free care provided;
• Amount of contractual adjustments;
• Amount of care provided under Hill-Burton;
• Amount of charity care provided to the indigent;
• Amount of outside source funding from governmental entities or philanthropic groups;
• For cases involving indigent people:
  • The number of people treated;
  • The number of inpatients and outpatients;
  • Total patient days;
  • Total number of patients, by county;
  • Indigent care costs by provider by county;

• The public, profit or non-profit status of each facility, and whether it is a teaching hospital;
• Number of board certified physicians, by specialty on staff;
• Number of nursing hours per day and per patient visit;
• For ambulatory surgical or obstetrical facilities, the types of surgery performed and emergency back-up systems available;
• For hospitals:
  • Availability of emergency services, trauma centers, ICUs, and neonatal ICUs;
  • Procedures hospital specializes in, and number performed annually;
  • Cesarean rates by percentage and number;

• Data available on a uniform billing statement used by providers that contains a non- identifiable patient code, birth date, sex, race, subdivision code, zip code, county, type of bill, beginning and end dates of service, admission and discharge dates, diagnoses, procedures, DRG code, revenue codes, total charges, summary of charges by plan or payer, and place of service, including the provider name and attending physician’s name.

The Department of Community Health must provide the form for providers to use for their annual report submissions.  The Department must establish quality indicators that are in the best interests of the residents of the state.  If the Department does not receive an annual report within 30 days from when it is due, the Department must notify the provider of the deficiency.  If the deficiency continues for 15 days after the notification has been given, the provider will be liable for a $1,000 penalty and an additional $500 per day penalty for each day the violation continues, as well as other sanctions, such as suspension or revocation of the provider’s license.