Particularly given that charitable giving to hospitals is already down steeply, Congress should avoid making tax code changes that discourage donations even more, according to a new industry group. The Association for Healthcare Philanthropy is all over the issue, alarmed by papers released last month outlining healthcare reform possibilities.
Among the proposals was one suggesting that Congress limit the federal tax deduction for donations from wealthy givers, which may have seemed more palatable than several other tax options for funding reform--such as taking away tax-free status of non-profit hospitals. This proposal would cut deductions for charitable giving from 35 to 28 percent for givers making more than $250,000 per year.