Analysis Reveals Tennessee Doctors Who Perform Gender Surgeries Work For Tax-Exempt Facilities

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The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –

A recent analysis shows that the physicians that perform “Top Surgeries” in Tennessee practice their trade in Tax-exempt hospitals and clinics.

Through his research, Rutherford County’s Tax Assessor, Rob Mitchell has discovered that many “tax-exempt” hospitals may not be acting in the best interests of their community by providing and encouraging procedures which the community may find objectionable. 

In a phone interview with The Tennessee Conservative, Mitchell, who is a Conservative Republican, explained that it can be argued that by way of their tax-exempt status the hospitals and clinics are forcing taxpayers to pay for a type of medical care which is contrary to their moral/religious convictions.

According to Mitchell’s research, in Tennessee, “gender affirming” surgeries are found to be offered primarily through “tax-exempt” hospitals. 

“This is a revelation which most lawmakers would find concerning if not an objectionable practice altogether,” Mitchell said.

Non-profit or “tax-exempt” hospitals are exempt from paying federal and state income tax, sales tax, and property tax, and enjoy other tax-related benefits such as the ability to issue tax-free bonds.

To justify their federal tax-exempt status, nonprofit hospitals must demonstrate, under the current Community Benefit Standard adopted by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), that they “operate to promote the health of a class of persons that is broad enough to benefit the community.” The standard does not include any kind of quantifiable requirement. 

In addition, this federal tax-exempt standard applies only for federal income tax purposes. Whether a nonprofit hospital qualifies for state and local tax exemption is a state law concept.

Nonprofit hospitals receive a sizable tax exemption — estimated at almost $25 billion in 2015 (using 2011 data) and likely much larger now — that is largely intended to subsidize the costs of this charity care.

Mitchell explained, “Taken as a whole, analysis demonstrates that the value of the tax exemptions vary substantially across tax-exempt hospitals. Moreover, neither combined provisions in IRS tax code of ‘community benefits’ nor ‘charity care’ alone (whether measured as totals or incremental amounts relative to non-tax-exempts) is strongly correlated to the value of the tax exemption. Few hospital or market characteristics consistently explain the difference between ‘community benefits’ and the tax exemption.”

“For policymakers who desire to motivate hospitals to provide adequate ‘community benefits’ and, in particular, sufficient charity care to underserved populations, the tax exemption currently appears to be a rather blunt instrument,” Mitchell said, “Many tax-exempt hospitals benefit greatly from the tax exemption yet provide relatively few real and measurable benefits to their community.”

Mitchell said, “Policymakers could consider being more explicit in specifying certain levels of ‘community benefits’ from ‘tax-exempt’ hospitals as a requirement prior to being granted a ‘carte blanche’ exemption and be willing to rescind a “tax-exempt” hospital’s status to those deemed to be providing insufficient community benefits.”

Mitchell reports that this information has been shared with the Tennessee General Assembly and the Tennessee State Board of Equalization but the information has been ignored.  

“I am not calling for the abolition of ‘tax-exempt’ hospitals. What I do believe should take place is a more clear and measurable definition of what is considered a real benefit to the community,” Mitchell said, “Once it is defined and measured it could be applied against the local property taxes due. This could level the playing field with the ‘non-tax-exempt’ hospitals and assist local communities with providing adequate funds for their budgetary requirements”.

TopSurgery.net lists the Medical doctors in Tennessee that perform “Top Surgeries.”

According to hopkinsmedicine.org, ‘Top Surgeries’ is another name for chest masculinization or feminization. Using one of several surgical approaches, surgeons augment or remove breast tissue, and in some cases reshape and reposition the nipples for an “affirming look”.

TopSurgery.net states, “It wasn’t that long ago that there were no surgeons in Tennessee who were offering Top Surgery, and Tennesseans traveled out-of-state to Charlotte, Atlanta and South Florida to access surgeons who had experience with gender-affirming surgery…Tennessee now has multiple options for Top Surgery Surgeons.”

Stay tuned to The Tennessee Conservative for an upcoming interview with Rob Mitchell, where he will explain this all in more detail.

About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative  ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career.  Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others.  He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History.  Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com

One thought on “Analysis Reveals Tennessee Doctors Who Perform Gender Surgeries Work For Tax-Exempt Facilities

  • December 13, 2022 at 6:39 pm
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    To make a buck off a gender confused child is a feat worthy of punishment!

    Reply

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