Section 33-21A-5. Requirements relating to critical access hospitals

   (a) A critical access hospital must provide notice to a care management organization and the Department of Community Health of any alleged breaches in its contract by such care management organization.

(b) If a critical access hospital satisfies the requirement of subsection (a) of this Code section, and if the Department of Community Health concludes, after notice and hearing, that a care management organization has substantively and repeatedly breached a term of its contract with a critical access hospital, the department is authorized to require the care management organization to pay damages to the critical access hospital in an amount not to exceed three times the amount owed. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Code section shall be interpreted to limit the authority of the Department of Community Health to establish additional penalties or fines against a care management organization for failure to comply with the contract between a care management organization and the Department of Community Health.

Code 1981, § 33-21A-5, enacted by Ga. L. 2008, p. 704, § 1/HB 1234.