HB872 expands the service cancelable loan program for medical professionals in “underserved” rural areas of Georgia to include dental students. It outlines the criteria and length of these loans, which can be canceled if recipients agree to practice in designated underserved areas. The bill includes provisions for making grants to rural hospitals and other health care entities to support recruitment efforts.
The Georgia State Senate passed HB872 on March 26, 2024 by a vote of 47 to 2. We have assigned pluses to the nays because government should not subsidize or issue taxpayer-funded loans, nor should it interfere with private enterprise. This bill expands the size of government, picks winners and losers, and creates a dependency on government assistance, undermining the free market. When the government meddles in areas it shouldn’t, individuals and businesses lose control and freedom, especially when they end up owing money back to the government.