O.C.G.A. § 31-8-179.1 (2019)

As used in this article, the term:

(1) ‘‘Board’’ means the Board of Community Health.

(2) ‘‘Department’’ means the Department of Community Health.

(3) ‘‘Hospital’’ means an institution licensed pursuant to Chapter 7 of this title which is primarily engaged in providing to inpatients, by or under the supervision of physicians, diagnostic services and therapeutic services for medical diagnosis, treatment, and care of injured, disabled, or sick persons or rehabilitation services for the rehabilitation of injured, disabled, or sick persons. Such term includes public, private, rehabilitative, geriatric, osteopathic, and other specialty hospitals but shall not include psychiatric hospitals which shall have the same meaning as facilities as defined in paragraph (7) of Code Section 37-3-1, critical access hospitals as defined in paragraph (3) of Code Section 33-21A-2, or any state owned or state operated hospitals.

(4) ‘‘Provider payment’’ means a payment assessed by the department pursuant to this article for the privilege of operating a hospital.