Today, hospitals throughout the U.S. often receive less reimbursement from insurance companies and the government than what it costs to provide medical services. This reduction in payment costs hospitals billions of dollars every year. At the same time, the costs of labor, medications and technology are increasing. Add to that the more than 45 million uninsured Americans who need healthcare whether they can pay or not. Taken together, these forces have created very difficult times for hospitals in recent years. These strains have made foundations and fund raising more important than ever for hospitals to survive.