Opinion ID: 2372686
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Symbiotic Relationship

Text: Appellant's case is based on an alleged violation of his right to due process of law as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution. The Bill of Rights protects the individual only from governmental action. [2] However, actions ostensibly taken by a private, non-governmental party, can, under certain circumstances, be attributed to the state and thus be subject to constitutional limitations. Two theories justifying a finding of state action are advanced by appellant. First, he contends that the state and the hospital are in a symbiotic relationship. He sees as evidence of this relationship the receipt by the hospital of Federal Hill-Burton funds for hospital construction, receipt of medicaid and medicare funds, tax benefits and its monopoly position in the community. It is somewhat doubtful that appellant would prevail in this argument. See Hodge v. Paoli Memorial Hospital, 576 F.2d 563 (3rd Cir., 1978). However, we need not decide that issue because we find that there was state action under the second theory.