HCA Healthcare is an American for-profit operator of health care facilities that was founded in 1968. It is based in Nashville, Tennessee and in 2019 it managed 185 hospitals and 119 freestanding surgery centers,[2] including surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers, and physician clinics in the United States and United Kingdom.[3] HCA went public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 1969 followed by a substantial growth period for the next two decades. The company was ranked No. 67 in the 2019 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue.[4] In 1993, lawsuits were filed against HCA by former employees who drew attention to the company’s questionable billing practices to Medicare for hundreds of millions of dollars.[5] Some of the allegations included charging the government costs for running its hospitals, paying kickbacks to physicians for referrals, and unlawfully charging for costs involving wound care facilities. A federal probe ensued, spanning nearly a decade, and culminated in 2003 with “the government receiving a total of over $2 billion in criminal fines and civil penalties for systematically defrauding federal health care programs.”[6] The federal probe has been referred to as the longest and costliest investigation for health-care fraud in U.S. history.

LifePoint Health is a company that provides healthcare services in growing regions, rural communities and small towns. It was established in 1999 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee. As of November 16, 2018, it operated 89 hospital campuses in 30 states with more than $6 billion in revenues. In 2011, the company was included in the Hospital Engagement Network by the Department of Health and Human Services, being the only private organization in the country.