As has been pointed out, these are military docs working in a military hospital. They are probably very young, recent med school grads paying off ROTC debt by doing their service years. They are NOT being paid as a surgeon in private practice would be. AND, they don’t call the shots on going forward with the surgery or not. That is a hospital administration decision.
One administrative consideration is that the woman was not covered at the time of the scheduled surgery. If they proceeded and there was any kind of problem, they’d have had a massive liability, in addition to not being paid for the services rendered.
Your calls of corruption are misplaced.
No, surgeons that deny life-saving surgery and the administrators that direct them to deny it are wrong. They have an oath to live up to and if they suddenly discovered that the lady was I eligible, they should have sought an administrative solution ( such as looking for a waiver, or getting the husband extended on active duty.
Denying critical cancer surgery at the last minute is heartless.