Includes bibliographical references (pages 161-165) and index.

"Should organ transplants be given to patients who have waited the longest, or need it most urgently, or those whose survival prospects are the best? The rationing of health care is universal and inevitable, taking place in poor and affluent countries, in publicly funded and private health care systems. Doctors must budget for as well as dispense health care whilst aging populations severely stretch allocation of resources.The Ethics of Health Care Rationing is a clear and much-needed introduction to this increasingly important topic, considering and assessing the major ethical problems and dilemmas about the allocation, scarcity and rationing of health care. Beginning with a helpful overview of why rationing is an ethical problem, the authors examine the following key topics:What is the value of health? How can it be measured?What does it mean that a treatment is "good value for money"? What sort of distributive principles - utilitarian, egalitarian or prioritarian - should we rely on when thinking about health care rationing?Does rationing health care unfairly discriminate against the elderly and people with disabilities?Should patients be held responsible for their health? Why does the debate on responsibility for health lead to issues about socioeconomic status and social inequality? Throughout the book, examples from the US, UK and other countries are used to illustrate the ethical issues at stake. Additional features such as chapter summaries, annotated further reading and discussion questions make 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"-- Provided by publisher.

"Health care resources - such as personnel, beds, equipment, and donors - are expensive and in scarce supply. Additional factors, such as rapidly aging populations, add to the pressures on such services. Given the scarcity such resources fundamental ethical questions arise: How are such resources to be allocated? Who should have access to them? How should massive inequalities in health care access be addressed? What sort of ethical principles should guide the distribution of health care? This book introduces and assesses these questions and more. Beginning with an overview of competing theories of justice, the authors examine the following key topics: - what is the value of health and how do we measure it? - what sort of distributive principles - utilitarian, egalitarian or priority-based - should we adopt? - are some kinds of principles discriminatory and if so, how can they be avoided? Should the elderly or disabled receive equal treatment compared to the able-bodied? - how much responsibility does the individual have for her health? Why does the debate on responsibility for health lead so quickly to issues about class, behaviour, race and socioeconomic status? Throughout the book examples from the US, UK and developing nations are used to illustrate the philosophical issues at stake. These include the Oregon Medicaid plan, health service reforms in the UK, the World Health Organization study of diseases and the ethical issues that arise from natural disasters and epidemics"-- Provided by publisher.