Adds a tax of as much as 5.5 percent (the tax is called a “fee” in the bill) to every patient’s hospital bill. The potential revenue raised from the patient tax could cost Colorado’s citizens more than $573,000,000 a year in higher health care costs.

Attempts to evade the plain language of TABOR by calling a tax a fee.

Requires hospitals to mislead patients about the tax. The bill specifically prohibits hospitals from listing the tax as a line item on patient bills.

Significantly expands medical assistance programs without a stable funding base. In some cases, people with median household earnings or income will be eligible for Medicaid.

Will increase private health insurance premiums and, potentially, the Medicare costsharing amounts paid by the elderly.

Reimburses hospitals for 100 percent of hospital determined costs without adequate oversight.

Stops general fund appropriations to hospitals from going below their 2008 levels without being “made up.”

Earmarks payments for an unspecified “group facilitator.”