Course Description

Health care finance examines how healthcare organizations acquire, manage, and allocate financial resources. This course introduces students to the fundamental principles of financial accounting and financial management as applied to the healthcare industry. Students will analyze financial statements, understand reimbursement methodologies, apply managerial accounting tools, and evaluate capital investment decisions within the context of the U.S. healthcare system.

This course is a requirement for the M.S. Healthcare Administration program.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the course, students should achieve the following capabilities:

• Describe the financial environment of healthcare care, including insurance and reimbursement systems.

• Interpret and analyze healthcare financial statements, including income statements and balance sheets.

• Apply managerial accounting tools, including cost analysis, pricing, and budgeting.

• Understand the time value of money and its application in healthcare financial decisions.

• Evaluate long-term financing options available to healthcare organizations.

• Assess capital investment decisions using standard capital budgeting techniques.

• Analyze financial risk and its implications for healthcare organizations.

• Apply financial planning and budgeting principles in a healthcare context.

• Understand the revenue cycle and its importance to organizational financial health.

• Connect financial management principles to broader healthcare policy and economic outcomes

Prerequisite(s)

Acceptance into the HCA graduate program and completion of HCA 502, or permission of the program director.