> "My cap is 15 patients in one day," Nuila says. "That's compared to some of my colleagues in the private world, who I've heard admit up to 24 patients in one night, or don't carry a cap."

Learning from my spouse who is a current medical resident -- some attendings admit and discharge more patients than the capacity because their bonuses are tied to that. That is a twisted incentive and it is in conflict with ACGME's guidelines of not letting residents handle more than 10 patients at a time. The attending/hospitalist at my wife's hospital makes $420K/year + bonus (it's near Miami, FL). They work 8-hours shift for 7 days and then rest 7 days. If one chooses to, s/he can moonlight at another place (a senior friend of my wife works for a hospital in Palmdale, CA and another one nearby for 7 days each; she easily bags $600K/year; she is raking in money when she can work this much while buying houses, and she plans to work half as much in a few years).

I also wonder if hospitals like "The People's Hospital" make patients sign waiver to not sue them. At my wife's hospital, some of the patients (and/or their families) are obviously angling for lawsuit and are always looking for excuses to do that. That legal/liability burden (among may other things like doctor's salaries; bloated administration; etc.) is part of the reasons why hospital bills are exorbitant.