Now we’re talkin’! Bill would hike tax deductions for health IT

Modern Healthcare in their daily HITs newsletter is reporting that Representative Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) introduced a bill in the House that would increase tax deductions for healthcare providers who purchase IT systems. They reported:

The bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Charles Norwood (R-Ga.), Shelley Moore (R-W.Va.) and Scott Garrett (R-N.J.), amends the Internal Revenue Code so that in the first year of purchase, providers would see an equipment deduction go from $100,000 to $250,000 and see an increase in the maximum annual total of deductible property go from $400,000 to $600,000.

There are more details in their newsletter. I haven’t seen the reporting elsewhere on the net yet, but you can sign up for the newsletter today and get the scoop.

Offering more tax deductions is an even better way of moving health IT along than government funding! Assuming it passes, vendors in health IT can offer yet another incentive: buy our stuff before the end of the year and give us your money instead of Uncle Sam. Ok, so they won’t say it like that but it’ll be close.