1.0Glossaryhttps://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/glossaryGlossaryhttps://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/glossary/author/adminglossary/Costs - Definition of Costsrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="jRm0XNx4u0"><a href="https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/glossary/costs/">Costs</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/glossary/costs/embed/#?secret=jRm0XNx4u0" width="600" height="338" title="“Costs” — Glossary" data-secret="jRm0XNx4u0" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script>
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Expenses incurred in the provision of services or goods. Many different kinds of costs are defined and used. Charges, the price of a service or amount billed an individual or third party, may or may not be the same as, or based on, costs. Hospitals often charge more for a given service than it actually costs in order to recoup losses from providing other services where costs exceed feasible charges. Despite the terminology, cost control programs are often directed to controlling increases in charges rather than in real costs.