Rationing of U.S. Healthcare
Healthcare rationing is a topic that evokes a myriad of opinions not only with those who work in healthcare, but also with the public in general. The question that is asked on both sides of the argument has to do with the ethics and morals regarding how and to whom care is given. This paper will discuss the implications of healthcare rationing, as well as the moral and legal arguments that presented when discussing this ever controversial topic.
Healthcare rationing
Healthcare rationing is something that is not easily defined. It encompasses all aspects of healthcare from organ transplantation to insurance coverage. The simplest definition of healthcare rationing is the decision regarding distribution of scarce …show more content…
This is the model that is most often taken into consideration when deciding which patient will receive an organ transplant. A team will decide which patient(s) are closest to death and who will potentially have the best clinical outcome. Clinical outcome may be measured in who will have the better quality of life and how many years the said organ will likely prolong the life of the patient. In less critical aspects of healthcare, the idea is to provide the treatment that will have the greatest treatment to the greatest number of people, or what will ultimately benefit the group as a whole (Doyle, …show more content…
This type of model is the basis for many single payer healthcare systems throughout the world, like Canada. Some of the drawbacks associated with this model is that it can take months to receive treatment and many argue that this leads to worse patient outcomes because of the delay in secondary treatment (Doyle, 2004).
Current system In the U.S. today, all three models are used to a certain extent. All people have the freedom to purchase a health plan with the coverage they deem necessary, those who cannot afford to purchase a private plan because of socioeconomic status have the ability to apply for government funded healthcare, and certain aspects of care, like organ transplantation are decided on based on necessity. It is by no means a perfect system as the U.S. spends an estimated $9,523.00 per person which is more than any other high wealth country (National,
Healthcare rationing is a topic that evokes a myriad of opinions not only with those who work in healthcare, but also with the public in general. The question that is asked on both sides of the argument has to do with the ethics and morals regarding how and to whom care is given. This paper will discuss the implications of healthcare rationing, as well as the moral and legal arguments that presented when discussing this ever controversial topic.
Healthcare rationing
Healthcare rationing is something that is not easily defined. It encompasses all aspects of healthcare from organ transplantation to insurance coverage. The simplest definition of healthcare rationing is the decision regarding distribution of scarce …show more content…
This is the model that is most often taken into consideration when deciding which patient will receive an organ transplant. A team will decide which patient(s) are closest to death and who will potentially have the best clinical outcome. Clinical outcome may be measured in who will have the better quality of life and how many years the said organ will likely prolong the life of the patient. In less critical aspects of healthcare, the idea is to provide the treatment that will have the greatest treatment to the greatest number of people, or what will ultimately benefit the group as a whole (Doyle, …show more content…
This type of model is the basis for many single payer healthcare systems throughout the world, like Canada. Some of the drawbacks associated with this model is that it can take months to receive treatment and many argue that this leads to worse patient outcomes because of the delay in secondary treatment (Doyle, 2004).
Current system In the U.S. today, all three models are used to a certain extent. All people have the freedom to purchase a health plan with the coverage they deem necessary, those who cannot afford to purchase a private plan because of socioeconomic status have the ability to apply for government funded healthcare, and certain aspects of care, like organ transplantation are decided on based on necessity. It is by no means a perfect system as the U.S. spends an estimated $9,523.00 per person which is more than any other high wealth country (National,