Hospital group blasts tax boost

Portland Business Journal:

The group representing Oregon hospitals is protesting state plans to increase a medical industry tax in order to minimize proposed Medicaid reimbursement cuts. The so-called “provider tax” on hospital services would increase from 2.3 percent to 4 percent as the state hopes to raise $660 million for the Oregon Health Plan. The package, approved by a work group comprised of lawmakers earlier this week, aims to ensure that 60,000 low-income Oregonians can continue to receive medical care. The Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, which has battled the proposal for the last two years, said the announcement of an agreement caught it by...

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