As one of the experts interviewed in this piece from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes, it is not surprising that this is happening — it is only surprising that it’s being said out loud by the Mayo Clinic’s CEO:

Mayo Clinic’s chief executive made a startling announcement in a recent speech to employees: The Rochester-based health system will give preference to patients with private insurance over those with lower-paying Medicaid or Medicare coverage, if they seek care at the same time and have comparable conditions.