In your medical practice, one of the essential components is the ability of your facility to care for persons with disabilities. It’s known that persons with disabilities often avoid seeking regular medical care due to the obstacles they face in getting the care they need.

Accessibility for persons with disabilities is not only a convenience for your patients; it’s a legal requirement.

Laws Protecting Persons With Disabilities As Applied To Medical Services

The Americans With Disabilities Act (also known as the ADA) is a law that was established in 1990 that prohibits the discrimination of individuals with disabilities. This law applies to many things including medical services.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (also simply known as 504) prohibits the discrimination of persons with disabilities in programs that receive federal financial assistance. This law does apply to healthcare services.

Title II and Title III of both of these laws require that providers give:

• Full and equal access to persons with disabilities
• Reasonable modifications to services, facilities, policies, practices, and procedures when necessary
• New construction and building alterations need to be compliant with the standards set by the ADA. Even if a building was constructed before the ADA went into effect, it is still subject to these accessibility requirements and rules.

As a healthcare provider, you’re most likely well aware of these rules applying to persons with disabilities.

The challenge may be in finding cost-effective ways to deal with these requirements. Booth Med can help your practice to meet the needs of patients with disabilities and save money at the same time. Certain expenditures called “section 44- disabled access tax credit” are tax deductible for small businesses that acquire or modify equipment or devices for individuals with disabilities, or provide similar services, modifications, materials, or equipment. Put this with the Section 179 deduction for certain capital expenditures and the total tax deduction can be significant. For example, the cost of an adjustable height medical table may be deductible for both the section 44 credit and the section 179 deduction. Contact Booth Med today in order to fill the gaps that exist in your healthcare practice.