Is there a way to write off uncompensated care for tax purposes?

[Habeed]

Thanks to underinsurance and uninsured, many patients cannot pay their medical bills.

Suppose we have "Joe the E.R. doctor". Now, Joe works 12 hours a day, 3000 hours a year. His time as an attending physician is worth about $75 an hour.

But, about 1/3 of Joes patients don't pay Joe anything, directly or indirectly. Can poor Joe the doctor here write off the $75,000 in free labor that he is forced to provide, thanks to EMTLA, from his taxes?

That would help Joe out immensely, because he would save about $30,000 in taxes, compensating him partially for the 1000 hours a year that Joe spends working for free.

I am pretty sure I know what the answer is to the plight of poor "Joe the doctor".

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[MOHS_01]

No, unfortunately not... at least no way that I have been able to find. I wish that there were; it would at least lessen the sting of working for free.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

Thanks to underinsurance and uninsured, many patients cannot pay their medical bills.

Suppose we have "Joe the E.R. doctor". Now, Joe works 12 hours a day, 3000 hours a year. His time as an attending physician is worth about $75 an hour.

But, about 1/3 of Joes patients don't pay Joe anything, directly or indirectly. Can poor Joe the doctor here write off the $75,000 in free labor that he is forced to provide, thanks to EMTLA, from his taxes?

That would help Joe out immensely, because he would save about $30,000 in taxes, compensating him partially for the 1000 hours a year that Joe spends working for free.

I am pretty sure I know what the answer is to the plight of poor "Joe the doctor".

The good news is Joe works 12 hours a day, 3-4 days a week for $160/hour, so even though 10-40% don't pay, he still gets a livable wage and doesn't own a pager.

The bad news is even those guys who don't pay can still sue.

 

[LADoc00]

If I could write off uncompensated care, I would pay no taxes...

I can only imagine such a wonderful day.