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Does Corporate Ownership Matter? Service Provision in the Hospital Industry

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  • Jill R. Horwitz

Abstract

Three types of firms — nonprofit, for-profit, and government — own U.S. hospitals, yet we do not know whether ownership results in the specialization of medical service provision. This study of over 30 medical services in urban, general hospitals (1988-2000) shows that ownership types specialize in medical services according to the profitability of those services. The paper examines three theories to explain the differences: 1) objectives, 2) capital prices, and 3) market characteristics. The findings are best explained by differences in the objectives adopted by hospital types rather than differences in capital constraints faced by them. Preliminary evidence suggests that hospital behavior depends on the ownership form of neighboring hospitals.

Suggested Citation

  • Jill R. Horwitz, 2005. "Does Corporate Ownership Matter? Service Provision in the Hospital Industry," NBER Working Papers 11376, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:11376
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    Cited by:

    1. Karen Eggleston & Yu-Chu Shen & Joseph Lau & Christopher H. Schmid & Jia Chan, 2008. "Hospital ownership and quality of care: what explains the different results in the literature?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(12), pages 1345-1362.
    2. Bjorvatn, Afsaneh, 2018. "Private or public hospital ownership: Does it really matter?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 166-174.
    3. Murphy, Aileen & Bourke, Jane & Turner, Brian, 2020. "A two-tiered public-private health system: Who stays in (private) hospitals in Ireland?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(7), pages 765-771.
    4. Edward Schumacher, 2009. "Does Public or Not-for-Profit Status Affect the Earnings of Hospital Workers?," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 30(1), pages 9-34, March.
    5. Jong‐Yi Wang & Janice C. Probst & Carleen H. Stoskopf & Jimy M. Sanders & James F. McTigue, 2011. "Information asymmetry and performance tilting in hospitals: a national empirical study," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(12), pages 1487-1506, December.
    6. Karen Eggleston & Yu‐Chu Shen & Joseph Lau & Christopher H. Schmid & Jia Chan, 2008. "Hospital ownership and quality of care: what explains the different results in the literature?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 17(12), pages 1345-1362, December.
    7. Marco Castaneda & Dino Falaschetti, 2008. "Does a Hospital’s Profit Status Affect its Operational Scope?," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 33(2), pages 129-159, September.
    8. Pierre Koning & Joëlle Noailly & Sabine Visser, 2007. "Do non-profits make a difference? Evaluating non-profit vis-à-vis for-profit organisations in social services," CPB Document 142, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    9. Ed Westerhout & Kees Folmer, 2013. "Why it may hurt to be insured: the effects of capping coinsurance payments," CPB Discussion Paper 239.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    10. Sabina Gandhi, 2012. "Differences between non-profit and for-profit hospices: patient selection and quality," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 107-127, June.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • L3 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise
    • L2 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior

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