Reply #4: Most US hospitals are private, some for-profit, but probably most

[Critters2]

are technically "not for profit", which mostly means they're tax exempt and are supposed to offer "charity care". Some non-profit hospitals have lost their status in recent years for either not offer adequate charity care, or for using aggressive collection practices. Not many, though.

Doctors have privileges to practice in certain hospitals, but most belong to professional associations which require them to consult with other doctors when it aids a patient. They may not be able to practice in a given hospital, but can be in communication with doctors who do. From what I've seen among parishioners, doctors are pretty good about helping one another in this way.

I have a parishioner with a rare myelin-related disease, and she has a whole team of docs who consult with one another, including local physicians, and specialists at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago, Mayo Clinics in both Minnesota and Arizona, and the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. They seem to cooperate pretty well.