Look at the hospital cost data in the "Cost Curve" slides (slide 13). To interpret this data: the values are indices, where 1.00 is the average cost for hospitals with 10,000 discharges. For example, the average cost of communications for hospitals with 5000 discharges is listed as 1.22. This means that the average cost of communications with hospitals with 5000 discharges is 122% of the average cost of communications for hospitals with 10,000 discharges (i.e. 22% higher). The final row ("all cost centers") gives the average total cost for the given number of discharges (relative to hospitals with 10,000 discharges). a) What (approximately) is the minimum efficient scale for hospitals, according to this data? Explain. (You can consider very small differences to be effectively zero when answering this question, and there are at least two answers that could be considered correct). b) In the range between 2,500 discharges and 10,000 discharges do hospitals exhibit economies or diseconomies of scale, according to this data?

ENGR.ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
14th Edition
ISBN:9780190931919
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Chapter1: Making Economics Decisions
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Look at the hospital cost data in the "Cost Curve" slides (slide 13). To interpret this data: the
values are indices, where 1.00 is the average cost for hospitals with 10,000 discharges. For
example, the average cost of communications for hospitals with 5000 discharges is listed as
1.22. This means that the average cost of communications with hospitals with 5000 discharges
is 122% of the average cost of communications for hospitals with 10,000 discharges (i.e. 22%
higher). The final row ("all cost centers") gives the average total cost for the given number of
discharges (relative to hospitals with 10,000 discharges).
a) What (approximately) is the minimum efficient scale for hospitals, according to this
data? Explain. (You can consider very small differences to be effectively zero when
answering this question, and there are at least two answers that could be considered
correct).
b) In the range between 2,500 discharges and 10,000 discharges do hospitals exhibit
economies or diseconomies of scale, according to this data?
Transcribed Image Text:Look at the hospital cost data in the "Cost Curve" slides (slide 13). To interpret this data: the values are indices, where 1.00 is the average cost for hospitals with 10,000 discharges. For example, the average cost of communications for hospitals with 5000 discharges is listed as 1.22. This means that the average cost of communications with hospitals with 5000 discharges is 122% of the average cost of communications for hospitals with 10,000 discharges (i.e. 22% higher). The final row ("all cost centers") gives the average total cost for the given number of discharges (relative to hospitals with 10,000 discharges). a) What (approximately) is the minimum efficient scale for hospitals, according to this data? Explain. (You can consider very small differences to be effectively zero when answering this question, and there are at least two answers that could be considered correct). b) In the range between 2,500 discharges and 10,000 discharges do hospitals exhibit economies or diseconomies of scale, according to this data?
Table 3
Average cost per discharge
2500
Cost center
5000
7500
10,000
15,000
20,000
discharges discharges discharges discharges dischares discharges
(100 beds) (136 beds) (200 beds) (270 beds) (310 beds) (440 beds)
Hospital administration 1.64
1.24
1.08
1.0
0.93
0.90
Public relations
1.12
0.98
0.97
1.0
1.03
1.07
General accounting
Communications
1.68
1.24
1.08
1.0
0.91
0.90
1.64
1.22
1.07
1.0
0.94
0.94
Purchasing
Patient accounts
Data processing
Credit and collectÍon
Medical records
+32
1.0
104
1.24
1.08
1.01
1.0
1.0
1.02
1.0
0.92
0.93
1.0
1.10
1.21
+24
106-
T.04
1.32
1.10
1.03
1.0
0.97
0.96
Printing and duplication 1.04
Personnel
1.02
1.01
1.0
0.98
0.97
1.32
1.06
1.0
1.0
1.02
1.06
Cafeteria
1.48
1.20
1.07
1.0
0.93
0.90
1.32
1.03
Laundry
Housekeeping
1.12
1.0
0.97
0.96
1.40
1.14
1.04
1.0
0.96
0.89
All cost centers
1.36
1.10
1.03
1.0
0.99
0.99
Transcribed Image Text:Table 3 Average cost per discharge 2500 Cost center 5000 7500 10,000 15,000 20,000 discharges discharges discharges discharges dischares discharges (100 beds) (136 beds) (200 beds) (270 beds) (310 beds) (440 beds) Hospital administration 1.64 1.24 1.08 1.0 0.93 0.90 Public relations 1.12 0.98 0.97 1.0 1.03 1.07 General accounting Communications 1.68 1.24 1.08 1.0 0.91 0.90 1.64 1.22 1.07 1.0 0.94 0.94 Purchasing Patient accounts Data processing Credit and collectÍon Medical records +32 1.0 104 1.24 1.08 1.01 1.0 1.0 1.02 1.0 0.92 0.93 1.0 1.10 1.21 +24 106- T.04 1.32 1.10 1.03 1.0 0.97 0.96 Printing and duplication 1.04 Personnel 1.02 1.01 1.0 0.98 0.97 1.32 1.06 1.0 1.0 1.02 1.06 Cafeteria 1.48 1.20 1.07 1.0 0.93 0.90 1.32 1.03 Laundry Housekeeping 1.12 1.0 0.97 0.96 1.40 1.14 1.04 1.0 0.96 0.89 All cost centers 1.36 1.10 1.03 1.0 0.99 0.99
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