GOP Destroys Valuable Medical Deduction with Tax Scam

Under the Ryan-McConnell tax bill, not only are Republicans raising taxes on the middle class in order to hand massive tax cuts to the rich, they are destroying a key tax deduction for working families dealing with medical bills: the medical expense deduction, which helps families with children with disabilities, long-term care needs, a need for expensive fertility treatments that have very high medical costs.

Nearly 9 million American households claim this deduction.  Every day, it becomes more clear the GOP tax bill is a very bad deal for middle class America.

Associated Press: Threatened medical deduction seen as valuable, versatile

Several million people unlucky enough to face big medical bills not covered by their insurance would lose a valuable and versatile deduction under the House GOP tax bill. Groups representing older people and patients are trying to save it … About 9 million households — 6 percent of tax filers — claim the medical expense deduction.

The medical expense deduction is also versatile. In addition to nursing home care, not generally covered by medical insurance plans, it can be used for:

—Fertility treatments.

—Transportation expenses to a top hospital, like a comprehensive cancer center.

—Laser surgery to correct vision problems.

—Some long-term care insurance premiums.

—Installing specialized medical equipment in a patient's home or vehicle.

—Dental procedures.

—Bills from out-of-network doctors.

The Hill: GOP tax bill would eliminate medical expense deductions

The House Republican tax bill would eliminate the ability for individuals to deduct qualified medical expenses, a provision that could have major implications for households with extremely high health-care costs.

CNBC: The GOP tax bill would wipe out key deduction for nursing home residents

The Republican tax bill would wipe out a key medical deduction for many elderly Americans in nursing homes … The bill would repeal the medical expense deduction, which allows people who spend more than 10 percent of their income on out-of-pocket health costs to write them off.

"This would be a joke if the consequences weren't so serious," said Brad Woodhouse, campaign director of health-care advocacy group Protect Our Care.