Wisconsin moving ahead with hospital tax plans

Nearly all of Wisconsin's hospitals--a full 95 percent--are not-for-profits that enjoy a state property tax exemption. Despite resistance from the hospitals, the state is continuing to look at recouping some of that revenue with a separate hospital-specific tax. State governor Jim Doyle (D) wants to impose an 0.8 percent tax on the state's 109 non-profit hospitals, which he says will generate $418 million in revenues for the state over the next two years. The proposal has been posted by a report suggesting that the non-profits had excess revenues of $837 million in 2004. Like its brethren in other states considering hospital taxes, the Wisconsin Hospital Association characterizes the proposed tax as a "sick tax" which will end up hurting patients.

To find out more about the tax proposal:
- read this Associated Press article

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