U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Fla., recently brought back the “Helping Everyone Access Long Term Healthcare (HEALTH) Act.”
Webster’s proposal “will provide a tax deduction to healthcare providers for pro-bono health services to low-income individuals and families who rely on Medicaid or CHIP” and “would provide participating physicians medical personnel with a tax deduction for the value of the service performed which would significantly reduce the amount of paperwork associated with the Medicaid/CHIP system.”
“This bill helps more Americans have access to the care they need, from the doctor they choose, at a price they can afford,” said Webster. “The HEALTH Act offers a new solution to provide healthcare services to low-income families and has the potential to help Medicaid and CHIP programs save on costs. This legislation allows doctors and other healthcare professionals to provide pro-bono healthcare services to low-income individuals, including children in the CHIP programs, in exchange for a simple tax deduction.”
AMAC is backing the bill and Bob Carlstrom, the president of AMAC Action, weighed in on it.
“AMAC and its over 2 million members applaud Congressman Webster for introducing this important legislation. The healthcare system is struggling right now. Nobody wants to admit it, but Medicaid is not a simple and patient friendly system. It is confusing and complex, oftentimes not working in the patient’s favor,. The current system is administratively burdensome and costly for physicians to participate in. We commend Rep. Webster for not only acknowledging that doctors and patients need better options but also for providing a commonsense solution,” he said.
“Increasing access to healthcare is crucial to helping low-income families. If enacted, the HEALTH Act would help millions of individuals establish long term relationships with physicians to access quality healthcare for chronic conditions while potentially saving the government billions of dollars,” Webster’s office noted.
U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn., is co-sponsoring the proposal which was sent to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee.
