Models of Health Care Rationing

Abstract

The article discusses and exemplifies three models of health care rationing observed in affluent, economically advanced countries. Its underlying premise is that no welfare system in the world can be exempted from any rationing whatsoever. This raises the question as to how the problem ought best to be resolved. But before thinking about normatively appealing answers it might be helpful to study how the problem is actually dealt with in the real world. For such a study brings to light several advantages and drawbacks of various rationing schemes which it would be hard to consider (even conceive) in the abstract alone, but whose knowledge may be highly relevant, perhaps indispensable, for the designation of adequate solutions.