Initial Posting Criteria: After reading Chapter 11, Case 11.2 (pages 178-180) from the E-Book, Economics for Healthcare Managers, Fourth Edition by Lee, provide a response to each of the discussion questions for your initial posting:

• How much community benefit do not-for-profit hospitals provide?
• How much community benefit do for-profit hospitals provide?
• Why does using list prices tend to inflate estimates of community benefit?
• Are there other important differences between not-for-profit and for-profit hospitals?
• Would local governments be better off if they taxed hospitals and paid for charity care?
• Is tax exemption a good way to encourage private organizations to serve the public interest?
• Can you find examples of controversies about hospitals' tax-exempt status?
• Can you find examples of payments in lieu of taxes?
• Does tax exemption for not-for-profit hospitals still make sense?
• Can you propose an alternative to tax exemption?