TY  - JOUR
T1  - HOspital services in the united states and canada
AU  - Magee B
Y1  - 1998/08/19
N1  - 10-1001/pubs.JAMA-ISSN-0098-7484-280-7-jbk0819
JO  - JAMA
SP  - 599
EP  - 600
VL  - 280
IS  - 7
N2  - 
In Canada, with universal coverage and a single payer, there is little reason for charges to vary significantly from revenues. In the United States, however, cost shifting is an intrinsic part of the system. Few pay "retail"; rather, charges are an elaborate way of using the many different payers to cross-subsidize each other and those who cannot pay. Most hospitals' revenues represent discounts from charges, some of them quite substantial.

SN  - 0098-7484
M3  - doi: 10-1001/pubs.JAMA-ISSN-0098-7484-280-7-jbk0819
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10-1001/pubs.JAMA-ISSN-0098-7484-280-7-jbk0819
ER  -