February 09, 2021
PUBLIC FINANCE > Budget > FY 2022

Baker’s hunt for the wily gooney bird

The governor’s idea of raising revenue is a mix of the good, the bad, and the what-the-hell-is-he-thinking.

Rachelle G. Cohen ,

The Boston Globe

According to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Baker’s budget includes a $100 million increase in Health Safety Net Hospital Assessments ($75 million of it due this fiscal year). The money would not be directed into the program that reimburses hospitals that treat large numbers of uninsured or underinsured patients, but into the state’s general fund. After fiscal 2022, the fee hike would be cut to $42.5 million and go back into hospital payments. The whole scheme would need federal approval.