WASHINGTON (AP) — An obscure provision tucked into the federal health care law has turned into a jackpot for Massachusetts hospitals, but officials in other states are upset because the money will come from their hospitals.

The Medicare windfall for Massachusetts — $275 million a year — adds up quickly, about $1.4 billion over five years.

“If I could think of a better word than outrageous, I would come up with it,” said Steve Brenton, president of the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

The news was buried in a Medicare regulation issued Monday and comes at a time when hospitals face more cuts under the newly signed federal debt deal.

Even Medicare says it is concerned about “manipulation” of its inpatient payment rules to create big rewards for one state at the expense of others.

Hospitals in 41 states will lose money as a result of the change. The biggest loser: New York, which is out $47.5 million.

Seven states come out ahead, though none do as well as Massachusetts. Runner-up New Jersey stands to gain $54 million, a fraction of what Massachusetts will get.

President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul was supposed to lead to reforms in Medicare’s byzantine payment system.

Critics say this latest twist will encourage the big players to game the system in a scramble for increasingly scarce taxpayer dollars.