Internet Exercise #1

Med-Link Corporation has developed a cost accounting budgeting type software package, called Med-Link Cost Accounting System for Health-Care Facilities, for use with hospitals. The website of the company at www.mlcost.com/index.htm includes material about this software package; review the information provided. Note that there are a number of links from this site providing a wealth of information about the software system. Answer the following questions:

1. Why would hospitals need a cost accounting software package? What are the characteristics of a hospital's cost structure and cost problems which would require a software program? Review the software materials.
2. How will the software program solve a hospital's cost accounting problems?
3. What did you learn from the review of the material that you didn't know before, for instance about a hospital's cost issues?
4. Why type of hospitals is the software program being marketed to?

Internet Exercise #2

Perform an Internet search using the term, flexible budgets, and locate an article (less than one year old) from the results of your search. (Make sure that you do not select an instructor's lecture notes or a class assignment from the results of your search.) After reading the article, write a brief paper (3 — 5 paragraphs) that summarizes and comments on the article. (Your critique should provide the appropriate citation for the article. If necessary, you may wish to refer to the following website, which includes information about citations: http://www.cod.edu/library/research/citenet.htm.)