A tax break for EMTALA?

EMTALA is indeed an unfunded mandate for providers, including hospitals. It also renders profoundly ironic the calls for “universal” health care that continuously emanate from the mass media and various Washington demagogues. If patients were ever in the past denied care for lack of money (something I’ve never actually seen in my years in the hospital biz—and I’m the heartless finance guy), the idea that it happens to anyone now is nonsense. Thus, we already have “universal” health care of a sort.

This wouldn’t be all bad if EMTALA contained some provision for defraying the costs incurred by the affected providers. For hospitals, there is some (minor) relief through DSH (although CMS is taliking about cutting that threadbare lifeline), but there is no help at all for the docs. So, Congresswoman Bono’s legislation is a positive, not only to the extent that some providers could receive a tax break pursuant to uncompensated care, but also as a sign that someone actually realizes there’s a problem.