...patients to pay before treatment, Houghton said. Now it will expand its efforts as Alaska Regional's parent company, HCA Inc., is making prepayment a nationwide initiative at its 191 hospitals. Valley Hospital in Palmer also is trying to get...

...the public, but the hospital's finance chief says the trend reflects that of Providence. Alaska Regional is owned by HCA Inc. of Nashville, Tenn., one of the nation's largest hospital chains. Besides bad debt, charity care is also eating...