If what Mr. Rehberg et al says about the hospital's practices is true, the motivation in coming forward is irrelevant. Wouldn't the practices be illegal?
Remember that a 501(c)(3) tax exempt hospital receives tremendous tax breaks that a practicing physician does not receive: no federal income tax, no state income tax, no sales tax on most purchases, and no property tax on property. In addition, they issue bonds at reduced "tax exempt" interest rates. Many also receive special indigent care trust fund money for treating the poor. All of these "breaks" are payment to nonprofit hospitals for treating the poor--so there is no excuse for them to agressively try to collect from them.
Private practice physicians do pay all of the taxes--income, property, and sales tax. And they don't receive anything for treating the poor who are unable to pay. So, there is justification for taxable doctors and hospitals to be more aggressive in their collection actions. The bottom line is, if you are going to be a 501(c)(3) "charity", you need to act like one. If you don't want to be charitable, then pay taxes. You can't have it both ways
A better question would be how much charity care has this practice done over the years? As the hopital is eligible for state and federal indigent funds outside of medicare and medicaid while the surgeons toil uncompensated putting their own health on the line while caring for aids, hepatitus and patients with other infectious diseases. My own father, OBGyn, died from hepatitus that he contracted while operating on one of his patients.
My husband is Dr. Chris Smith. I cannot tell you how sick I am of people defending the non tax paying hospitals role in health care, after all who is actually taking care of the patient? Sissy Smith
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