Financial management of hospitals

The effect of hospital reimbursement systems on the financial management of hospitals is briefly discussed, and the organization of hospital financial operations is reviewed. The implementation of Medicare prospective pricing will change the way in which hospital finances are managed. Health-care managers will be concerned with the profitability of product lines, or diagnosis-related groups, in future strategic planning efforts. The hospital's finance department consists of several traditional areas that exist in almost all financial organizations. The functions and interactions of these various areas are discussed in light of previous and current hospital reimbursement strategies. Staffing of the finance department and the duties of the hospital's chief financial officer are also described. The prospective pricing system of hospital reimbursement and increasing pressure from the business community to stem the rising costs of health care will produce changes in the medical and financial operations of the hospital industry over the next decade.