Cash Basis of Accounting

During a specific accounting
period, a hospital has earned $1,500,000 in revenues and consumed
$600,000 in resources. Consider the following three scenarios. In
scenarios A and B, cash basis of accounting method is followed. In
scenario C, accrual basis of accounting rules are followed.

Scenario A – management wants the financial statements to show high
profit, it delays paying the bills until after the accounting period,
although full payment of $1,500,000 is collected.

Scenario B – management wants the financial statements to show low
profit, maybe in order to encourage donations. It discourages patients
and third-party payors from paying until after the accounting period.
All the bills, $600,000, get paid on time.

Scenario C – according to accrual basis of accounting method, the
financial statements report revenues, $1,500,000, when revenues are
earned; and expenses expended to generate those revenues of $600,000,
when resources are used.

1. Discuss how the cash basis of accounting is vulnerable to
   management’s manipulation and how the accrual basis of accounting
   overcomes the disadvantages of the cash basis of accounting.
2. When looking at a capital investment into a project for an
   organization, management needs the board’s approval for the funds.
   Because of this need for approval, there is sometimes a tendency to
   overstate revenue and understate expenses associated with the project.
   Why do you feel that management would overstate revenue and understate
   expenses? What are the consequences of doing this?

1 page, 3 cited sources

Required Reading

Accounting For Management. (2013). Vertical analysis (common-size analysis) of financial statements. Retrieved from http://www.accountingformanagement.org/vertical-an…

Albrecht, C. & Albrecht, C. (2008). The nature of financial statement fraud. Internal Auditing, 23(4), 22-27.

National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association. (2016). The challenge of
health care fraud. Retrieved from
https://www.nhcaa.org/resources/health-care-anti-f…

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (n.d.) Beginners’ guide to financial statements. Retrieved from http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/begfinstmtguide.h…