What is covert rationing in healthcare?

Question

I just don't understand totally. Is the physician limited the number of patients he see with this form of rationing?

Answer 1

Close.

There are all sorts of practices which have the effect of making medical care harder to get and hence reducing the number who get it.

One example is "open clinic hours". For example, clinics will open in the morning and people get served (i.e. seen by the doctors) on a first come first served basis. That means that even if there is no monetary fee, because of the waiting time, those who have to go to work generally can't afford to see a doctor.

Then there are insurance schemes which pay the doctor (or dentist) for each patient visit, not for the total work done. Thus the doctor has the incentive to have the patients come in multiple times for different ailments rather than treating them all in a single visit.

A classic example of other tactics are those of the U.S. Veterans Administration:

http://www.va.gov/oig/54/reports/VAOIG-0...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stat...