Hospitals are always looking at the bottom line. They have to in order to stay in business.
This is not true for most big hospital systems, as they are very frivolous with spending and giving bonuses to directors and above..even if they're "non profit". They also get bailed out by the government when something goes wrong. Too big to fail and all that.
Not sure where you are getting your information, but hospital systems prior to Covid did not receive bailout money. However, Covid has been a boom for all of these systems. This is why we are seeing the horror shows involving hospitals and Covid care. They saw an opportunity to increase much needed cash flow and they took full advantage of what the taxpayer has been making available to them. Unfortunately, their greed has caused them to seriously bend all manner of ethics and morality to do it. They don't know how long this gravy train is going to last so they are taking it for all it will give them. But under normal circumstances they do not receive government monies beyond regular insurance reimbursement payments for Medicare and Medicaid. Depending on the institution, some may receive grants for particular projects or funds for research. The bulk of their funding comes from private insurance reimbursement. They do not operate like banks that get bailouts when they fail. A failed medical system just goes bankrupt or is bought out by bigger fish.
Most independent hospitals had been on the verge of insolvency and have slowly been bought out and incorporated into larger systems. This has been especially true since the passage of the ACA. Part of the reason the ACA was passed was to address the problem of failing hospitals that could not keep their heads about water. The cost of delivering care was outpacing reimbursement payments. Especially when they had to eat the cost of caring for the uninsured. Corporate medical systems, have an advantage because they consolidate certain aspects of business operations. But, like any other large business structure, they still squeeze the bottom end to pay a few at the top. Patients, staff, supplies, and equipment, are all shortchanged in order to pay for management structure at the top. Cost cutting and saving measures in the trenches are always in play. So I stand by my claim that they are always looking at the bottom line because they are still a private business. Public systems also have their money issues - but that is a discussion for another day. I have worked in both environments so I know something about what I speak.
This is not true for most big hospital systems, as they are very frivolous with spending and giving bonuses to directors and above..even if they're "non profit". They also get bailed out by the government when something goes wrong. Too big to fail and all that.
Not sure where you are getting your information, but hospital systems prior to Covid did not receive bailout money. However, Covid has been a boom for all of these systems. This is why we are seeing the horror shows involving hospitals and Covid care. They saw an opportunity to increase much needed cash flow and they took full advantage of what the taxpayer has been making available to them. Unfortunately, their greed has caused them to seriously bend all manner of ethics and morality to do it. They don't know how long this gravy train is going to last so they are taking it for all it will give them. But under normal circumstances they do not receive government monies beyond regular insurance reimbursement payments for Medicare and Medicaid. Depending on the institution, some may receive grants for particular projects or funds for research. The bulk of their funding comes from private insurance reimbursement. They do not operate like banks that get bailouts when they fail. A failed medical system just goes bankrupt or is bought out by bigger fish.
Most independent hospitals had been on the verge of insolvency and have slowly been bought out and incorporated into larger systems. This has been especially true since the passage of the ACA. Part of the reason the ACA was passed was to address the problem of failing hospitals that could not keep their heads about water. The cost of delivering care was outpacing reimbursement payments. Especially when they had to eat the cost of caring for the uninsured. Corporate medical systems, have an advantage because they consolidate certain aspects of business operations. But, like any other large business structure, they still squeeze the bottom end to pay a few at the top. Patients, staff, supplies, and equipment, are all shortchanged in order to pay for management structure at the top. Cost cutting and saving measures in the trenches are always in play. So I stand by my claim that they are always looking at the bottom line because they are still a private business. Public systems also have their money issues - but that is a discussion for another day. I have worked in both environments so I know something about what I speak.