Someone has to pay the salaries of doctors, nurses, technicians, food servicer workers, housekeepers, and hospital maintenance workers. Someone has to pay for hospital buildings, equipment, and utilities. Someone has to pay for the linens, medicine, chemicals, and disposable materials. Who should pay? If the hospital is not run in a businesslike manner, will there be waste and fraud?
A couple hundred years ago, firefighters would put out the fires only of buildings that displayed a fire insurance emblem. I'm glad that we have come a long way since then. Also, volunteer fire fighters are an honorable tradition in America. However, even volunteers need special clothing and equipment, fire engines, fire houses, and supplies. Those things aren't free.
The police don't request money directly from the citizens whom they serve but someone has to pay their salaries. The police don't work for free. There have even been occasions when they went on strike for their wages. Does anyone really expect them to protect and serve for free?
Are school facilities, utilities, equipment, and maintenance free of cost? Do the teachers, coaches, cafeteria workers, maintenance workers, and principals work for free?
Are not the above people worthy of their hire?
Do we not expect the best services, hospital buildings and equipment?
The American hospital system can use a lot of improvement but we can't expect it to be run like a charity. They need profits to re-invest in expansion and improvements.