Charge

The amount a doctor or other healthcare provider bills a patient. Direct and indirect expenses incurred by the hospital in providing the services, or hospital costs, are one factor in the determination of hospital charges. Competition, profits, and the necessity of recouping the costs of uncompensated care are also considered. For a company to continue to grow and improve they need to cover their cost and make a profit. For most hospitals, a majority of the profit they make gets is used in the following years to: increase staff salary, obtain new staff to meet healthcare demands, buy new and improved equipment/machinery to help with medical care, buy new and innovative (and expensive) drugs that help with therapeutic treatments, etc.