The rationing of health care is universal and inevitable, taking place in both poor and affluent countries, in publicly funded and private health care systems. Someone must budget for as well as dispense health care whilst aging populations severely stretch the availability of resources.
The Ethics of Health Care Rationing
is a clear, timely, and much-needed introduction to this important topic. Substantially revised and updated, this second edition includes new chapters on disability discrimination and age discrimination, and on the price of drugs and medical therapies. Beginning with a helpful overview of why rationing is an ethical problem, the authors examine the following key topics:
Throughout the book, examples from the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries are used to illustrate the ethical issues at stake. Additional features such as chapter summaries, annotated further reading, and discussion questions have also been updated, making this an ideal starting point for students new to the subject, not only in philosophy but also in closely related fields such as politics, health economics, public health, medicine, nursing and social work.