Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones (R-GA) sent a letter to President Donald Trump and Dr. Mehmet Oz, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator, in support of Georgia hospitals.
What was this letter for? The letter expressed support for ongoing efforts to establish a more equitable wage index system under the Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS).
What Lt. Gov Jones wrote in the letter:
- “I would like to thank the Administration and CMS for your ongoing efforts to address a fairer and more equitable wage index system under the Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS).”
- “Unfortunately, due to recent policy changes and court decisions, including the D.C. Circuit Court’s decision in Bridgeport Hosp. v. Becerra, area wage index (AWI) disparities have become more extreme, often exceeding 30 percent in localized markets/CBSAs.”
- “I respectfully join efforts, along with other low-wage index states, in asking Congress to work with and support CMS to use its regulatory authority to enact policies that ensure a balancing of the AWI program so that benefits are spread fairly across states.”
- “There are data-driven policy proposals that align Medicare payments with the economic realities faced by hospitals across rural Georgia and would enable them to attract and retain staff.”
Context: Lt. Gov. Jones also encouraged Congress to ensure that Georgia hospitals can have access to a financial benefit ranging from $150,000,000 to $245,400,000.
Towards the conclusion of his argument, Lt. Gov. Jones claimed that addressing the wage index variability would bridge the healthcare gap.
According to him, it would do this by bringing back just a fraction of the money taken from Georgia hospitals by those in California and New York under the Biden Administration.
This reform could save and strengthen rural healthcare, where outcomes, sustainability, and basic access are most vulnerable.
Lt. Governor Burt Jones Prioritizes Funding for Georgia’s Hospitals
"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… pic.twitter.com/IrjEvpvogI
— Lt. Governor Burt Jones (@LtGovJonesGA) June 9, 2026
