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5/30/2000
Ellis & Cowles: Hospital tax will increase government caseloads and costs
Higher hospital taxes will increase health-care costs for workers with health insurance and other private-pay patients at no benefit to them whatsoever, state senators Michael Ellis and Rob Cowles said today. Even worse, these increases will set the stage for fewer people being able to afford health insurance and fewer employers being able to provide insurance. Ultimately that will result in more people having to turn to government to provide health care, Ellis and Cowles warned.
The Republican senators were referring to action taken by the state Legislature's Joint Committee on Finance to increase a new tax on hospitals by $204 million over three fiscal years (2008-09 through 2010-11). That's in addition to $925 million the tax is already raising over the same time period. The tax, which was just enacted in February, was increased late Thursday night by the committee following a recommendation by Governor Doyle.
"They've hardly begun to collect the revenue from this new tax and already they're raising it by more than 20 percent," Ellis said. "It's actually worse than that because the committee also expanded the hospital tax by creating a new $44 million tax on ambulatory surgical centers.”
"That's a $1.27 billion tax on health care over three years that will be borne completely by those who have their own health insurance either on their own or through their employers," said Cowles. "But those who pay the tax will see no benefit. In fact, they will inevitably see increased costs for health insurance or even the loss of employer-provided health care when hospitals pass the tax on to paying customers."
The $1.27 billion tax will leverage additional federal dollars which will be used to increase medical assistance reimbursement rates to hospitals. In addition, the state will "skim" $417 million to help balance its general fund.
"Hospitals will pass the tax on to those who have health insurance," Cowles said. "The new revenues from their rate increase will be used to reimburse costs they currently incur providing medical assistance to government-subsidized patients; they will not be used to reduce health care costs for private-pay patients."
"As it is, many employers, especially small businesses, are having a hard time providing health insurance to their employees," said Ellis. "When faced with increased health-care costs due to this tax, they will have to ask their employees to pay more and many may even be forced to stop providing health insurance benefits to their employees.
"In the end it's a triple-whammy for Wisconsin; increased health-care costs for those who have health insurance will lead to fewer people who have health insurance because they or their employers cannot afford the increased costs. That will ultimately lead to more people dependent on government for health care at a greater cost to all Wisconsin taxpayers."
Mike Ellis is a Republican and represents the residents of the 19th Senate District. Rob Cowles is a Republican as well and represents the residents of the 2nd Senate District.
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