In short, if you call 911, the operator will call for an ambulance. You can't choose. If you have a minor stroke, you can certainly choose to have a friend to drive you there, or you can call a specific ambulance (I have never done that before and I am not even sure if that's even possible). But risk is on you.
I can't go to Mount Sinai West Hospital (midtown in NYC) if I am in Brooklyn at this moment. You understand emergency means racing with time. I can be transferred to Mount Sinai West later after I am discharged though. Also, I believe there is protocol for how far an ambulance is allowed to serve on active duty, unless another area is requesting additional availability, but don't quote me on this.
> In short, if you call 911, the operator will call for an ambulance. You can't choose.
That is merely a procedural issue. There is certainly no reason why the 911 operator can't honor your request for an ambulance from a specific hospital, provided that it's within their range. In the absence of a specific request, the operator has a duty to look out for your interests, which should include not sending you to a hospital known for over-charging when there are other reasonable options available. (This is the same logic that says they shouldn't just send you to the hospital that pays them the most kickbacks.) Their default balance between cost and care might reasonably differ from yours, but if you have expressed a preference then they have a responsibility to honor it.
Of course, not every emergency is quite as time-sensitive as a stroke or heart attack, and depending on your location, and the locations of the hospitals, the difference in travel time may not be significant. Even if price is not the determining factor in the majority of cases, competition over the patients for whom where it is a factor can help keep costs in check for everyone.
In short, if you call 911, the operator will call for an ambulance. You can't choose. If you have a minor stroke, you can certainly choose to have a friend to drive you there, or you can call a specific ambulance (I have never done that before and I am not even sure if that's even possible). But risk is on you.
I can't go to Mount Sinai West Hospital (midtown in NYC) if I am in Brooklyn at this moment. You understand emergency means racing with time. I can be transferred to Mount Sinai West later after I am discharged though. Also, I believe there is protocol for how far an ambulance is allowed to serve on active duty, unless another area is requesting additional availability, but don't quote me on this.
If only we can teleport...