Florida Reps. Daniel Webster (R) and Greg Steube (R) have reintroduced the Helping Everyone Access Long Term Healthcare (HEALTH) Act, which provides a tax deduction to healthcare providers for free health services to low-income Americans.
“My HEALTH Act will help more Americans get the care they need, from a doctor they choose, while reducing costs to the federal and state governments. This bill is a commonsense solution to help improve healthcare for Americans,” Webster shared on X.
Amidst the recent discourse over the future of America’s healthcare, the HEALTH Act claims to offer a solution to the lack of access to primary care.
According to the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC), roughly 92 million Americans depend on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), yet many struggle to find a family doctor willing to see them.
This is due to the extensive paperwork, low reimbursement rates, and red tape that many physicians encounter when taking on patients with Medicaid. As a result, they have stopped accepting Medicaid patients altogether.
Due to the difficulties surrounding access to primary care providers, many Americans on Medicaid forgo routine checkups and end up in hospitals, costing Medicaid. Researchers state that 44% of Medicaid patients visit the emergency room each year, which is almost four times the rate of those with private insurance.
The HEALTH Act allows doctors to make tax deductions for pro bono medical services, removing the need to file extensive Medicaid or CHIP claims for minimal reimbursement.
Physicians could instead choose to treat eligible patients at no cost and deduct the value of that service on their taxes. The bill aims to reward charity and compassion while reducing paperwork for doctors and saving taxpayer dollars.
“The HEALTH Act will honor [doctors’] contributions by creating a tax deduction for the charity care they provide to lower-income families and children. Not only will this reaffirm our country’s support for those who give back, but it will expand access to quality healthcare for families in need,” Steube said commented in an article published by AMAC.
