U.S. Economic Downturn’s Impact

It is a long-held belief that the healthcare industry is insulated from the effects of economic downturns. People always need healthcare; and with the federal government as the single largest payor, providers have enjoyed some respite from most slowdowns or recessions. Within the hospital sector, this truism is being put to the test in the current slowdown, and the gap between the “haves� and “have nots� is widening.