A new costing system in health care entities –a voice in the discussion

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of article is to comment on and evaluate the new legal regulations in costing in health care regarding how they are used by health care units. Methodology/approach: analysis of legal regulations, the literature on the subject, observations, as well as inference and synthesis in order to summarize the research results. The considerations in the research part were also based on the use of elements of the Delphi method, used to present the opinions of experts and representatives of health care units. Findings: The new cost accounting in healthcare entities is based on a systematic approach. It is partly a continuation of the legal solutions from 1999, but it introduces many new, detailed procedures, also in the form of instructions. The examined regulations meet the information needs of the Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Tariff System. However, the legitimacy and profitability of their use are questionable. It has to be modi-fied to fully support the management of health care entities. Practical implications: The conclusions are useful for practice by highlighting the areas of costing that require extension and further critical judgment. Originality/value: It fills the research gap on the functionality of costing in health care entities. Keywords: accounting, costing, cost calculation, health care entity, hospital, health care.