I read the article, "Bill would bar payments to Medicare providers who owe taxes". http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070504/OPINION01/705040311/1014/OPINION
US Senator Carl Levin, and senator Norm Coleman are both trying to introduce a bill that will withhold payments to doctors and other health-care providers who treat Medicare patients but who still owe federal taxes. The two looked into an investigation that found that 21,000 health-care providers owe approximately $1.3 billion in taxes, but receive Medicare payments. So these two guys decided that if you don't pay your own taxes, you shouldn't get benefits from taxpayers. The two senators want to require hte Deparment of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to participate in the Federal Payment Levy Program.
I think this makes sense. Doctors make pretty good money anyway, so they should just use their own darn money and their benefits to get the medical care they need. But I mean, if the local doctor in town wasn't paying his taxes, and then John comes in and needs a lot ofhelp and usually is covered by medicare/caid, then I think that John should save hismoney and get treated for free. Why should doctor get paid by the program he's not contributing to? I don't have anymore to say about this becasue it makes sense. But, I will say this has a lot to do with economics and the different kinds of taxing systems. Plus, Medicare/Medicaid is a mix between a public and common good. You definitly are seeing the free rider problem in this situation, becaue people are benefiting from the programs they don't contribute to.
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3 comments:
that is crazy how much those healthcare providers owe in taxes but yet still receive benefits. if some doctors aren't paying their taxes they shouldn't expect people who can't afford healthcare to pay them anything for their practice. that's so selfish and unfair!! what is the world coming to..?!
I agree with the idea that benefits should be withheld from those who don't pay the taxes, because it is like someone is not putting his two cents in for a program that he is benefiting from without any contribution. Which may also contribute to the program's downfall in the future.
Interesting bill - I hadn't heard of it before you were talking about it last Friday.
I wonder why the Feds haven't gone after these docs for not paying their taxes, especially with so much money on the line? I'm pretty sure that if I decided not to pay my taxes, they'd be on my doorstep pdq.
But then again, I'm jaded. :)
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