All she is going to do is give her a chance to have the surgery. There is no guarntee Heather will make the surgery. There good chance she could die. All Izzie is doing is giving her chance to have it. Not mention they also funded Joe's surgery in S2 premiere. This type of funding happens constantly by doctors and organizations .

what Izzie is doing is legal

I certainly don't put this in the same league as Denny. But I forgot about the Joe thing. And didn't Addison do something like it too when she had that pregnant teenager? Something about her having a connection at the clinic, etc...? Somehow the operation was covered for them...
But I wasn't aware that doctor's ever paid from their own pockets... so if it's not actually breaking the rules, that's better. It still seems like crossing a line in a sense to me though...as a surgeon she's going to encounter plenty of patients who cannot afford surgeries they need, etc. Is she just always going to feel so bad that she'll pay for them then? I don't know... something about it just doesn't seem right.

Hmm...are thinking S3 Addison case in the premiere "Time Has Come Today", or in S2. I vaguely remember which case you are talking about. It's on the tip of my tongue.

Yup, there are doctors with many cases that fund surgeries . I read many stories and articles about them . Very inspirtional might I add. Sometimes threw getting funding from organizations to getting out of their own pockets. It's not illegal. It's very much legal. I don't see it as crossing the line because I view doctors are "healers" who are very compassionate people. To give their time to save lives. This is just another way to treat patients. They just happen that the patients can't afford it. These free clinics, funding for surgeries, and paying for medicine gives people who can't afford whether they are low-income or their insurance companies won't pay it allow a chance. This type of care has been happening for centuries, of course, through different methods and means . Izzie will encounter many patients that can't afford quality health care which is why in episodes 3.13 and 3.14 Bailey and Izzie will create a free health care clinic . This clinic will be funded by the rest of Izzie's money, and it will be named after Denny.

Feels fine to me , but I can understand what you are coming from. Izzie kinda reminds me of Patch Adams lol. Who has a free clinic, and teachs other fellow doctors that you can be a doctor and human at the same time.

The Addison case I'm referring to is sometime in season 2. It's the case where we find out about Izzie's daughter.
Also, if I in someway impled that I didn't think it was a very good thing Izzie is doing, I didn't mean to. I defintely think it is an incredible thing to do... however, if anyone has seen the clip of her and Bailey from the upcoming episode, Bailey expresses my opinions on the matter quite clearly.