Introduction Role of for-Profit (F-P) hospitals in hospital service delivery was not analyzed carefully until very recently. It was considered not that important to examine such hospitals because of their small market share. However, the growth of F-P hospitals and their effect on the hospital industry raises a number of significant questions including relative financial performance, efficiency, and access to health care by the disadvantaged groups in the society. Objective To describe the characteristics of for-profit and non-profit hospitals including differences in access to health care for the indigent populations between three groups of ownership: for-profit, not-for-profit and hospitals changing ownership from not-for-profit to for-profit in the recent past. Design
Unit of analysis is the individual hospital data. The hospital list was divided into three groups: for-profit hospitals, not-for-profit hospitals and currently converted hospitals from N-P to F-P. Descriptive statistics and univariate statistics will be presented to compare all variables with respect to geographic region and ownership. Data The research used the Medicare Cost Report. The data set contains information about more than 5000 hospitals.
Importance of the Study, Policy implications: The importance of the study stems from the concern that conversion of hospitals from not-for-profit to for-profit will adversely affect the access of poor and disadvantaged groups to hospital services. If the type of ownership has no impact on relative efficiency, performance and services provided to poor members of the society, then eliminating charitable donations and the tax-exempt status of N-P hospitals should be social welfare enhancing.
Learning Objectives: To describe the characteristics of for-profit and non-profit hospitals including differences in access to health care for the indigent populations between three groups of ownership: for-profit, not-for-profit and hospitals changing ownership from not-for-profit to for-profit in the recent past.
Keywords: Access to Health Care, Hospitals
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.