Given the challenging economic environment in health care today, all healthcare managers, not just accounshy;tants, are becoming more and more aware of the importance of understanding costs. Essentials of Cost Accounting for Health Care Organizations is a comprehensive text that applies the tools and techniques of cost accounting to the health services field. It is unique in that it goes beyond the introductory and provides an advanced, in-depth look at cost accounting for healthcare managers. Each concept is thoroughly illustrated using practical, real-world examples drawn from every sector of the healthcare industry. Divided into four sections, the book covers the foundations of cost accounting, information for planning and control, tools to aid in decision making, and future trends. The Third Edition has been thoroughly revised to reflect the recent changes in Medicare/Medicaid and includes an all new chapter on activity-based costing. Features: Practical, understandable, healthcare specific examples engage the reader and bring the concepts to life Challenging exercises and problems in each chapter provide hands-on experience in applying cost accounting techniques to management decision making Interactive website with Excel spreadsheet problems enhances student learning Extensive, 500-word glossary provides at-a-glance definitions of critical terms