Thanks for the links. I like reading stories like this when someone more familiar with the situation can fill the rest of us in a bit more.

From an article linked in the second reference you give:

The merger was profitable for Levine [Ballad CEO] too. His total compensation has nearly doubled to about $4.3 million since the merger, including some deferred retirement payments, according to reports filed with the IRS. Prior to Ballad, Levine worked as a high-level health official in Florida and Louisiana and was an executive at two larger hospital corporations, HCA Healthcare and Health Management Associates. Federal prosecutors accused both companies of widespread health care fraud during some of the years when Levine was one of their leaders, claims the companies denied but later paid hundreds of millions of dollars to settle.

Nothing to see here...

But then there is this:

Nationwide, the COPA model is uncommon but gaining momentum. COPAs have been used in about 10 hospital mergers over the past three decades, including two in Texas and one in Louisiana in just the past three years, and another is being proposed in Indiana. Nineteen states have laws on the books allowing for COPAs, although not all have approved a specific merger...

“Our critics say, ‘No Ballad. We don’t want Ballad.’ Well, then what?” Levine said. “Because the hospitals were on their way to being closed.”

So what do we do about this? This seems to go back to red states being propped up financially by blue states. By nature of population and development, that seems to be the order of things, and I don't mind that in general principal. It seems like nationalized healthcare would allow quality hospitals to exist in unprofitable areas, just like post offices don't go out of business there. But if people there keep voting for reps that keep going on about "socialism evil!" how do we get these people care? In a capitalist system, how do we force businesses to provide service when it is unprofitable, leaving only unscrupulous people to provide those services like slumlords of healthcare?

It really sucks and I feel bad for the people affected, but what can really be done since it seems that is the path they choose?