title: Sticker shock at the hospital. Freed from reins of managed care, hospitals accelerate price hikes for fourth consecutive year; blame placed on staffing, tech costs.
abstract: Free from the shackles of managed care, the nation's hospitals boosted prices for the fourth consecutive year, according to a new report released by the government last week. David Cyganowski, left, a managing director at Salomon Smith Barney, says if taxes on dividends are wiped out, hospitals could be confronted with higher long-term interest rates.
authors.forename: Mary Chris
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jaklevic
mesh_terms: D017049:Employer Health Costs / Q000639:trends; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000191:economics; D017722:Hospital Charges / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007250:Inflation, Economic; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States