An Obamacare earmark championed by former Sen. John Kerry that raised wage payments to Massachusetts hospitals at the expense of those in the other 49 states is coming under fire in Congress and could die now that the 29-year Senate veteran is gone.

Dubbed the “Bay State Boondoggle” by critics, Kerry’s simple amendment to Obamacare allowed Massachusetts hospitals to increase their health care Medicaid and Medicare payments by $257 million last year and $3.5 billion over 10 years. Under federal rules, the money would have to come out of payments to other hospitals around the country.