Hospitals raise perk ante to draw, treat patients

Hospitals are finding it pays to pump up the perks as they compete for patients who want a bit extra, and have private health insurance. Because private health insurance offers better reimbursement than government payers like Medicaid or Medicare, the perks are partly meant to lure in more profitable patients, experts say. But others see a chasm deepening between hospitals pushing into leafy suburbs to grab market share and those serving poorer patient populations.