Required Reading

Nowicki, M. (2018). Introduction to the Financial Management of Healthcare Organizations (Vol. Seventh edition). Chicago, Illinois: Health Administration Press. Part 2; pages 93-179, and pages 198-211. Retrieved from the Trident Online Library. Please Attachment with the Ebook

View: Taylor, M. (2014). Managerial Accounting: Cost – Volume – Profit and Break-Even. Available at: https://youtu.be/zMb_IniBbDk

Assignment Overview

In recent years, healthcare pricing has come under much scrutiny. Calls for price transparency have been made, loudly and clearly. Discounting prices to some recipients or payers occur, but how and why does this happen? Patients with insurance typically pay an insurance-negotiated discounted rate, while patients without insurance can be asked to pay the full amount that is charged by the provider or facility. Why can’t you simply look on each provider’s website to see the exact cost of your office visit, or your x-ray? With the many methods of cost-setting available to us as healthcare managers, we see how there is a high degree of variability in the amount charged per service from person to person, and state to state. In moving towards either voluntary or state-mandated transparency in healthcare pricing, we consider the following Case assignment questions.

Homework Case 2 Assignment

After completing the required background readings, please complete the following questions:

1. Describe the recent scrutiny of the methods of healthcare pricing. Is this scrutiny justified, or unjustified?
2. What can healthcare managers do to be best prepared for increasing future calls for transparency (either voluntary, or state-mandated)?
3. How have state transparency laws affected healthcare pricing in your home state, or state of current residency? Can you locate the exact costs of healthcare services you or your family may need in the near future?
4. How is cost-shifting implemented within the healthcare settings? Do you believe this ethical?

Assignment Expectations

1. Conduct additional research to gather sufficient information to support your analysis.
2. Provide a response of 3-5 pages, not including title page and references.
3. As we have multiple required items to be addressed herein, please use subheadings to show where you’re responding to each required item and to ensure that none are omitted.
4. Support your paper with peer-reviewed articles and reliable sources. Use at least three references, and a minimum of two of these from peer-reviewed sources. For additional information on how to recognize peer-reviewed journals, see http://www.angelo.edu/services/library/handouts/peerrev.php and for evaluating internet sources:
   https://www.library.georgetown.edu/tutorials/research-guides/evaluating-internet-content
5. You may use the following source to assist in your formatting your assignment: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/. Paraphrase all source information into your own words carefully, and use in-text citations.