They always profess they aren't making any money but how they're spending more in advertising. I agree, you will go to the hospital closest to where you live. Advertising is a waste of money.
For not making money, there are TWO brand new hospitals being built within a 5 mile radius of my house and a 3rd expanding, doubling it's size. Plus, once they accept Medicare payment I should not have to pay the difference, but I am being billed every month for it, maybe thinking I might be dumb and send a check....NOT making money, my ass...
I think it depends on the area. I live in an area that has 4 good hospitals within 10 miles. Most doctors are associated with at least 2 of them. When I was diagnosed with cancer, my primary care doctor asked which hospital I wanted to go to for treatment. Of course, I chose the one with the best oncology dept. which was not the one that found the cancer while treating me for another ailment. I also live a 10 min. drive over the GWB to Manhattan so the competition is also a factor.
You realize, of course, that hospitals are no longer service oriented but product oriented. In more rural areas where there are fewer hospitals, hospitals compete with each other to attract patients from miles away. The way it works is that potential patients travel to the town/city where "x" hospital is located and seek medical care from medical doctors there. So, you see, patients do have a choice, at least in certain instances. Is different than in past years when patients were less mobile and were more loyal to local facilities/doctors.
The whole hospital advertising thing has to do with some of the problems with health care....As it is, hospitals only make money --- and in some cases are able to survive on our illnesses and misfortunes, so they are forced to try to get you to think of their hospital first. Medicare and Medicaid are squeezing the $, so hospitals are trying to get those who have a choice to choose them. For some it is a matter of survival. I think advertising is an unfortunate way for the health system to work because it wastes precious dollars which could go to help those without insurance, etc.
Some of the companies who determine hospital ranking, eg healthgrades, get the information, then charge lots of money to allow the institutions to use their research....Seems like everyone has their hand out for a little money.
I am to the point I dont even pay attention to commercials anymore . I mean I dont get yeast infections ; I have no intention buying Kotex or massengil or ky or wings or some douche product or condom . I can ignore all them ; whats one more about a hospital to ignore ?
Most of the hospitals I see, state that they are a non profit organization. How they manage an advertising budget is beyond me. Why they advertise in the first place is a bigger mystery. The closest one here is three miles, after that we're talking thirty to seventy miles depending on which direction I go. When I had a stroke it was take me seventy miles to my doctor or to the local hospital and ER just three mile away. That's a no brainer. When I had blood clots in my lungs, the local ER was fine, let them call my regular doc. That's what phones are for.
Nonprofit does not mean they don't make money. they put the money back into the hospital in the form of advertising and fancy redecorating.
We have three large hospitals in our city. they all have huge fountains or water walls in the lobbies some have lovely fireplaces and grand pianos.
