Questions are being raised about just how much money hospitals will make or lose if the Governor's hospital tax is passed.
The Wisconsin Hospital Association didn't like the Governor's proposal from day one and now armed with figures, WHA's Eric Borgerding says hospitals could stand to lose 132-million dollars instead of gaining 283-million the governor thinks they will. And Borgerding says that loss will be passed on to patients in their bills and insurance premiums.
The Governor says taxing hospitals will leverage the federal government into paying them more in Medicaid reimbursements. Borgerding says that's not what the federal regulations allow. In fact, he says, the state has been interpreting the law that way for years especially when the hospitals requested increased reimbursements.
Borgerding says they're also concerned hospital tax revenues will just be used for other things instead of improved health care.