Defintion of Health Care Rationing?

Question

What is it and how does it work?

thanxxx

Answer 1

There are only so many resources to go around. Rationing always occurs as a result. It could be rationed in advance, as Oregon does with Medicaid--these x conditions get treated in this order--after the cut-off line, you're on Medicaid and you can forget about getting help.

Other states do the same thing, but are not so clear cut or straightforward about it.

In UHC countries, because the systems are all bankrupt, they have to try to figure out ways to NOT treat some folks so you get things like: don't bother with the old--they don't have long to live; don't bother with the fat, they brought it all on themselves; etc. "Don't treat the old and unhealthy, say doctors" 18/04/2008 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1...

Answer 2

Health care rationing involves conflict between medicine and money. 'Rationing' means the denial or delay of treatment as a result of a state of conflict between what the physician considers to be medically and ethically the best treatment for the patient in question and the treatment that the system actually permits him or her to give.