Tacoma Hospital has three support departments and four patient services departments. The direct costs to each of
Question:
Tacoma Hospital has three support departments and four patient services departments. The direct costs to each of the support departments are as follows:
| Direct Costs | Cost Driver |
General Administration | $2,000,000 | Salary Dollars |
Facilities | $5,000,000 | Housekeeping Labor Hours |
Financial Services | $3,000,000 | Patient Services Revenue |
Total | $10,000,000 | |
The patient services revenue, salary dollars, and housekeeping labor hours for each department are as follows:
| Revenue | Salary Dollars | Housekeeping Labor Hours |
General Administration | | $1,500,000 | 2,000 |
Facilities | | $3,000,000 | 5,000 |
Financial Services | | $2,000,000 | 3,000 |
| | | |
Routine Care | $30,000,000 | $12,000,000 | 150,000 |
Intensive Care | $4,000,000 | $5,000,000 | 30,000 |
Diagnostic Services | $6,000,000 | $6,000,000 | 15,000 |
Other Services | $10,000,000 | $7,000,000 | 25,000 |
Assume that the hospital uses the step-down method for cost allocation (see pages 230 0 232), with salary dollars as the cost driver for general administration, housekeeping labor hours as the cost driver for facilities, and patient services revenue as the cost driver for financial services. Assume also that the general administration department provides the most services to other support departments, followed closely by the facilities department. The financial services department provides the least services to the other support departments.
a. Use an allocation table to allocate the hospital’s overhead costs to the patient services departments.
b. Is the direct method or the step-down method better for cost allocation within Tacoma Hospital’s? Please explain.
Cost Accounting Foundations and Evolutions
ISBN: 978-1111626822
8th Edition
Authors: Michael R. Kinney, Cecily A. Raiborn