Final answer:
Early health care institutions in the U.S. primarily fulfilled a charitable purpose, providing care to those without means, including freed African Americans post-Civil War, and offering low-cost or free services during periods such as the Great Depression.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that early health care institutions in the U.S. served mainly a charitable purpose is TRUE. In the aftermath of the Civil War, institutions like those set up by the Freedmen's Bureau provided necessary care to many, including the freed African American population, often with little to no charge. The conditions in these institutions were not optimal, suffering from low funding and infrastructure issues, and only the Freedmen's Hospital in D.C. lasted beyond the Bureau's existence.
Moving forward in time, during the market revolution and the Great Depression, services expanded with the establishment of settlement houses, which were also charitable in nature. They provided services for those in need, operating with funding from donations and serving populations who were often excluded from other forms of medical care due to poverty or segregation. Furthermore, organizations like Flint Goodridge Hospital displayed innovative charitable approaches for providing health services and insurance programs at very low costs.
Despite the enduring challenges, the healthcare sector has seen shifts over the years, with both charitable and for-profit institutions playing roles in the system.