Public and private hospitals jointly serve healthcare needs in the United States, but each entity has its own set of values, accountability, funding, and delivery models, which may often be conflicting in nature. One area of such conflict is related to financial values. For example, whereas public hospitals work on the principle of service, private hospitals mostly work on the principle of making a profit. Such conflicting financial values often have an impact on other stakeholders, the healthcare system, and financial decisions related to health policies and laws.

• Identify three conflicting financial values of public hospitals (government hospitals) and private hospitals (for-profit and nonprofit).
• Describe how values influence the financial models of public and private hospitals.
• Compare the financial values of public and private hospitals and how these values affect health policies and laws.