United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2003-10-22 monographic deposited born digital 41 p. GA 1.13:GAO-04-167 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-167 P0b002ee1803868d8 f:d04167 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-167 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-167 GAO-04-167 Financial analysis Health statistics Hospital administration Hospital care services Hospitals Medical economic analysis Patient care services Physicians Emergency medical services Community hospitals State/local relations Comparative analysis Quality-of-care Other Written Product A08752 The recent growth in specialty hospitals that are largely for-profit and owned, in part, by physicians, has been controversial. Advocates of these hospitals contend that the focused mission and dedicated resources of specialty hospitals both improve quality and reduce costs. Critics contend that specialty hospitals siphon off the most profitable procedures and patient cases, thus eroding the financial health of neighboring general hospitals and impairing their ability to provide emergency care and other essential community services. Critics also contend that physician ownership of specialty hospitals creates financial incentives that may inappropriately affect physicians' clinical and referral behavior. In April 2003, GAO reported on certain aspects of specialty hospitals, including the extent of physician ownership and the relative severity of patients treated (GAO-03-683R). For this report, GAO was asked to examine (1) state policies and local conditions associated with the location of specialty hospitals, (2) how specialty hospitals differ from general hospitals in providing emergency care and serving a community's other medical needs, and (3) how specialty and general hospitals in the same communities compare in terms of market share and financial health. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-167/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-167.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-167/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-167.pdf GAO-04-167 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-167 Other Written Product GAO-04-167; Specialty Hospitals: Geographic Location, Services Provided, and Financial Performance; Financial analysis Health statistics Hospital administration Hospital care services Hospitals Medical economic analysis Patient care services Physicians Emergency medical services Community hospitals State/local relations Comparative analysis Quality-of-care Volume 88 Page 2225 88 Stat. 2225 Volume 100 Page 3784 100 Stat. 3784 Public Law 93-641 Public Law 99-660