I just tried this and can't replicate. While it's possible that uber was preying on the fact you had an emergency, it's equally likely it was a coincidence. Moreover, "this guy is going to a hospital so let's charge him more because he's probably going to bleed out" is a pretty poor strategy. Besides the obvious PR risk, most people going to the hospital probably aren't bleeding out or in any sort of emergency. Think of the last time you were at a hospital. How many cars are in the parking lot vs waiting in the emergency room? It's far more likely that you're there for non-emergency reasons (eg. visiting a someone, going to an appointment, or work there), and charging 3x surge pricing is a good way of losing the fare to a competitor.