Cost factors in equitable care

Abstract

In order to remain a caring institution treating the rich and the poor, difficult decisions have to be made when fixing a charge for lithotripsy. The major factors that affect the decision include: costs the hospital incurred in procuring, setting up, and running the lithotriptor; the ability of the patient to pay; the expected number of patients per year; the expected life of the machine; and competition. The hospital may wish to offset costs against specific benefits which elude mathematical formulae. The hospital may feel it is essential to be seen as a total care provider and may want to avoid the cost of loss of image (as a provider of a total urological service) and may, therefore, want to reduce the total charge and absorb the loss.