IRS Goes After Nonprofit Hospitals On Asking Customers To Pay Bills

The Daily Caller ^ | December 29, 2014 | Sarah Hurtubise

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Governments hate competition.

Obamacare Nanny State PING!

[taxcontrol]

Non-profit does not mean free.

Non-profit means that none of the revenues flow to the owners. There are a few small exceptions to that (paying salaries for example).

[Red Badger]

They want to shut them down.
That is the goal.....................

[Abathar]

" As a condition of their tax-exempt status, these hospitals must “take an active role in improving the health of the communities they serve,” "

That sounds suspiciously like the same wording they used when forcing banks to give sub-prime loans for McMansions to minority ditch diggers.

Probably is going to end as well as that did, but there will be no bailout at the end for them.

SSDD... SMH

[buckalfa]

Nanny statism at its best. However nothing really new here in policy except the threat of the heavy hand of the IRS. The non profits will just have to add an extra layer of bureaucracy to make sure the required financial screenings are done and documented. More cost for less cash, that's the ticket!

[Cowboy Bob]

Maybe they should hire Michelle Obama to help steer away potential deadbeat patients?

[Usagi_yo]

Making law through the regulatory process, nothing different here from Obama — the continuing usurpation of legislative prerogatives.

Now he has a hammer (the IRS) to enforce compliance. Perhaps that’s why they chose the IRS as the health regulatory agency.

[goldstategop]

What this means is if your hospital is affiliated with a church and you are indigent, you can tell them to stuff their bill.

If they can’t collect from your insurer, they usually have to write it off to charity care.

Now the Obama Administration is putting legal teeth to it.

[Secret Agent Man]

Yeah too many people don’t understand what non-profit actually means.

[Ingtar]

St. Jude may have trouble meeting some of this. The community health requirement is a whole new realm of responsibility. I doubt the Omanites will allow them to call “children with terminal diseases” as their community.

[LostInBayport]

Non-profit does not mean free. Non-profit means that none of the revenues flow to the owners.

Exactly. They still need income to cover operating expenses. Without that, they close. Which is probably the goal.

Evil is having a field day every day, it seems, lately.

[blackdog]

And written off medical debt is income to those who’s debt was written off.

[nomad]

Simple solution, become FOR PROFIT Hospitals.

[Gay State Conservative]

Tightening the noose.Straight out of Rules For Radicals.

[blackdog]

If you stiff a hospital for $50,000 in medical bills, that’s $50,000 of income you owe taxes on.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Wealth transfer from hospitals to minorities, many of whom are illegal. “Transforming America.”

[NTHockey]

Makes perfect sense. You can’t pay the $50k medical bill; but somehow, you have the ~$10k for taxes.

[neocon1984]

Non-Profits actually need to make a profit in order to renovate, expand important services, buy equipment (e.g., MRIs) and pay executive salaries. As a provider for a non-profit, I am not happy that I work to pay mediocre executives a lot more than I make. So be it.

The real problem is that the Feds and their crony capitalist insurance companies are leaving the providers out in the cold with declining reimbursement rates and increasing bureaucracy. I am 61 and will retire earlier than the intended 65. I will be OK. Practitioners in their 40’s with student loans and young children will suffer the most. These are very bright, hard working and compassionate people ... and they are getting screwed!

[blackdog]

It's still income. Try short selling a house! The difference in the sale price from the write off amount is income. So too are employer provided vehicles if you drive it to and from work. That is income.

The biggest offenders of these rules apply to government employees. Those animals are more equal than the rest of us.