Abstract
It is very likely that government spending will be constricted in the future even as the demand for services increases. It is not realistic to expect private funding sources to replace government financing for many population groups. Therefore, hospitals increasingly will have to compete with other institutions and programs for limited government and private funds and will have to convince the public that money spent for hospital care is money well spent. To this end, it would seem to be in the best interests of hospitals to work with rather than against government in attempting to control hospital spending and to see to it that the necessary methods for doing so are actively supported and implemented.