INTRODUCTION The Problem and Its Background There is always one question that we health care providers want

to sought. Should all hospitals be privatized? Or what differences or comparisons does public and private hospitals have in terms of its cost? Public or Private Hospitals are health care institutions primarily equipped with one goal which is to serve the people and promote wellness. However, private and public hospitals still has its differences. Public hospitals is supported mainly by the Department of Health, the mission of the department is to provide equitable, sustainable and quality healthcare services for all Filipinos and is mainly financed through taxes, allowing free services to be provided to local citizens; while the Private Hospitals is largely market-oriented and it is financed based on patients paying for the utilized medical services (Healthcare System

Information;Globalsurance,2005-2011). Furthermore, Public hospital sector handles the majority of acute care separations and accounts for most regional and remote hospitals, while private hospitals are more concentrated in metropolitan areas and are more likely to treat patients of higher socioeconomic advantage (Public and Private Hospital;Research Report, Australian Government, 2009). Filipinos with lower socioeconomic status often times obtain medical services from government operated hospitals because it is less expensive. Despite the fact that it is less expensive and it is sometimes free, public hospital facilities may not be as impressive and technologically or medically advanced with private hospitals. Private hospitals requires down payment before any procedure or during the time of admission and could be very hard for poor Filipinos.

Statement of the Problem The study aimed to determine the comparison between two delivery cases at private and public hospitals in the Philippines. Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions: 1. Is there a positive correlation between the socioeconomic status of the participant and the chosen hospital sector (private/public)? 2. Is there a significant difference between the cost of the participant in the Private Hospital and Public Hospital? 3. What factors does the patient consider in choosing which health care sector to go? Hypothesis of the Study The study is threaded on the hypothesis: There is a significant difference between the two delivery cases at private and public hospitals in the Philippines. Significance of the Study The outcome of the study will directly and/or indirectly affect the following: Nurses. This study will improve their skills and gain more knowledge about the procedures and techniques in the health care setting from the identification and comparison of the cost of the two delivery case in Public and Private Hospital.

Healthcare Delivery System. Findings from the study may help improve the healthcare delivery system. Identification and comparison of the cost of the two delivery case in Public and Private Hospitals will help to improve the quality of service medical institutions are offering its clientele.

Members of the Healthcare Team. This study may assist other members of the health care team to identify and be aware of the patients situation especially the financial situation of patient. Understanding patients situation is an essential step towards achieving optimum level of care and level of health.

Patients. Healthcare clients, as the primary recipient of nursing care, may likewise benefit through the imparted knowledge of the study, from the identification and comparison of the cost of the two delivery case in Public and Private Hospital.

Further Studies. This study may help future researches about Private and Public Hospitals in the Philippines. Findings from the research may present new knowledge among the cost differences between Private and Public Hospital of the two delivery cases and may progress health care delivery system in the country.

Scope and Limitation of the Study The study was limited on the identification and comparison of cost between two delivery cases at Private and Public hospital in the Philippines. The study was conducted at two selected hospitals in Valenzuela City, specifically in the OB ward.