Hospital Vs Not-For-Profit Hospital

The two distinct types of hospitals- for-profit and not-for-profit are relevant and significant in order to understand the nature of patient care within these respective structures and the goals of these hospitals based upon their type. In the non-profit hospital setting, patient care is often directed towards lower income and the indigent population. According to Weiss and Lonnquist (2015), “Nonprofits spend much more money than for-profits to provide services for patients unable to pay- thus making a significant community contribution” (p. 365). This quote emphasizes the mission of non-profit hospitals as those entities that care for the community. Although the for-profit hospital and the management of them focuses on maximizing profits
and benefiting the shareholders, the practices are more stringent at cost management which has a positive impact to healthcare costs. The advantage of a for -profit hospital is the management processes that ensure an efficient business entity with an environment that promotes financial stability.
Hospice care will eventually undergo ownership type changes in order to open access of this care to all populations. Currently, only the elderly who are able to pay for these costs out of pocket are able to utilize hospice care. Since the baby boomer population will impact the number of elderly which will increase the amount of hospice users eventually, limited access will not be sufficient, so hospice care owners will be forced to open the access of this service.