Rationing medical progress: the way to affordable health care

Article Abstract:

There are certainly may aspects of medical care which might be made more efficient and cost-effective. However, the possibilities for small economies should not blind us to the fact that an aging society and the ongoing development of medical technology will continue to drive up the costs of medical care. Indeed, 20 years of efforts at cost containment have failed to achieve their goal. Just as a smoker may need to make a major readjustment in his life to quit, society needs to completely reorganize the system to halt the increasing costs of medical care. While the prospect of rationing medical care may seem offensive or inequitable, it is not clear that the overall quality of life will benefit if other public expenditures, such as education, are cut back to provide more medical care. Would workers benefit if they received wage cuts so that more medical care could be provided? There will always be room for improvement, but that does not mean that things are bad. We live longer than ever before in human history, and there is much in life to enjoy. Should we ignore other aspects of life and become a nation of hypochondriacs sacrificing all to pay for more medical care? The notion of rationing medical care does not mean that decent health care will have to be limited in any way. What it means is that we will have to restrain our demands for unlimited progress, perfect health, complete freedom of choice, and increasing profits and income. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

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Age as a criterion for rationing medical care

Article Abstract:

Some people have expressed the view that the medical profession is now paying more attention to the arbitrary extension of life without concern for its quality. This has led to the suggestion that medical care for the aged should be restricted. However, this point of view is unacceptable. The rationale is that because these patients have fewer years of life left, the return on the investment in costly medical care is poor. While perhaps appealing on the surface, this view does not withstand scrutiny. A great deal of money is spent on treating AIDS patients with cancer or pneumonia; these patients are often likely to die within months, regardless of treatment. Yet there is no call for withholding treatment. If treatment should not be denied to a 30-year-old AIDS patient with pneumonia, why should it be denied to an 85-year-old patient? There is no doubt that the costs of medical care are escalating and something must be done to control the increase. However, even if restrictions on medical care need to be instituted, age must not be a criterion for imposing them. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

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Is rationing inevitable?

Article Abstract:

The people who pay for medical care, including the government, businesses, and health insurance companies, cannot continue to support the increasing costs of health care. This has placed the so-called 'third-party' payers in conflict with the medical profession. The payers view the medical profession as wasteful; the medical practitioners begrudge the increasing paperwork and regard efforts at cost-cutting as outside interference. Few people believe that the present efforts at cost-cutting, which are piecemeal at best, can succeed in the long-run, and many believe that the ultimate result will be the institution of health care rationing. The author believes that it is possible for physicians to design ways to provide necessary medical care to everyone while maintaining acceptable cost limits. This will require good-faith cooperation with the government. If physicians are unable to find a method for delivering health care at a reasonable cost, there can be no doubt that there will be unprecedented regulation and rationing of medical services. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

editorial

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