Gov. Jim Doyle has called a special session of the Legislature for tomorrow to take up the hospital assessment. The session is to begin at 1 p.m.

A notice from Doyle's office said in order for the bill to take effect by the federal deadline of June 30, it must pass the Legislature and be signed by Governor Doyle by June 29, 2009.

"The budget I submitted to the Legislature in February depends on making deep cuts and taking advantage of potential sources of federal revenue," Doyle said in the statement from his office. "My preference would be for the entire budget to be completed on time, but the Legislature is now facing critical financial deadlines and I am calling on them to act."

According to Doyle's office, the bill would increase the payments to hospitals by $108 million during this fiscal year, and allow the state to claim $74 million in additional federal Medicaid revenue, reducing the state's GPR spending for Medicaid by $26.6 million during the current fiscal year.

Talks between the Assembly and Senate to reconcile differences in the budget bills they passed have been slow to progress. Doyle said yesterday that the state could lose millions in federal dollars for the Medicaid program if the budget isn't completed by July 1.

-- By Greg Bump