Nonprofit to For-Profit Hospital Conversions: Policy Implications and Alternatives

The changing health-care market has resulted in shifts in the ownership status of hospitals in the United States. Many nonprofit hospitals are being sold to the for-profit sector and foregoing their philanthropic roots for greater access to capital. Consequently, communities are often left without adequate and accessible care for the indigent and charity care has diminished in many circumstances. Concerns over these changes have heightened public policy concerns over the quality of care and loss of community benefit. This article will discuss policy alternatives to these problems and offer viable solutions to many of the challenging outcomes of hospital conversions.