opinion

Increase access by giving physicians a tax deduction for charity care

Posted May 17, 2010

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Imagine the response of physicians agreeing to care for patients on a volunteer basis if a receipt for the value of the service was sent out at the end of the year from organized programs. These receipts could be used as charitable contributions for tax purposes.

At this point, all of my yearly contributions to the USO (yep, I have a son who is in the U.S. Marine Corps), Salvation Army, American Cancer Society, Boys and Girls Clubs, etc. are all tax deductible, but the donation of my office resources apparently are not.

Al Sayles, MD, Louisburg, N.C.

The print version of this content appeared in the link issue of American Medical News.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/05/17/edlt0517.htm.

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