It is a free market, about 30% of all hospitals and doctor offices in the US are a for profit private corporation, thus they can be acquired as any other business by anyone. Like with pharma, most people have the very big misconception that just because its about health, that hospitals are excluded from free market and capitalistic principles. When someone offers hospital services or starts developing a new drug, he can charge whatever price he wants, and he will do it as long as profits are maximized and don't start to plunge due to too large price hikes (+ conflicts with insurance companies etc.). Hospitals in countries like Switzerland are known for the best medical treatment because they are almost 100% for profit - private / investor owned. Running a hospital is a business as any other + 95% of the US population has a healthcare insurance anyway. At topics like healthcare, most people are simply too much Hollywood educated and debate with irrelevant individual experiences.