Some Texas lawmakers are recommending what amounts to a hospital tax in the next budget. It's called a "quality assurance fee" and supporters say it could help lower health care costs for everyone. Here's how it would work: every hospital in Texas would be evenly assessed a bed tax. "It would form a pool of money that then the state could use to draw down more federal funds for health care," State Senator Leticia Van De Putte says. She explains Texas hospitals are losing money from treating millions of uninsured patients and that's why people with insurance pay more in premiums.
