Rationing Issues in Healthcare

The concept of rationing healthcare is dealt with on a daily basis. Healthcare rationing in the United States exists in various forms. Access to private health insurance is rationed based on price and ability to pay. Those not able to afford a health insurance policy are unable to acquire one, and sometimes, insurance companies prescreen applicants for pre-existing medical conditions and either decline to cover the applicant or apply additional price and medical coverage conditions. Access to state Medicaid programs is restricted by income and asset limits through a means test and to other federal and state eligibility regulations. Health maintenance organizations (HMOs) that commonly cover the bulk of the population restrict access to treatment via financial and clinical access limits.

Using the South University Online Library, find a current article (no more than two years old) on rationing issues in healthcare. The article should also be peer-reviewed.

Note: Peer-reviewed refers to articles reviewed and approved by authors' professional peers who are experts on the topic being discussed.

After reading your article, summarize its contents and the main theme discussed. Then, answer the following questions:

• How is rationing defined and what criteria are offered to ration care?

• Discuss and apply at least one of the major ethical theories to the issue and the ethical decision-making process to the issue.

• What do you feel the impact of the issue in the article will be on the healthcare industry? What can be done to ensure rationing is done fairly?

• Discuss the major codes of ethics of the stakeholders involved in the issue and how these codes will affect the decision-making process and the final decision.

• Examine and discuss the impact that the issue and the final decision will have on the stakeholders involved.

• Discuss any potential policy implications for the issue and the final decision.