The Journal of medicine and philosophy
-
This paper proposes an ethical framework for rationing publicly-financed health care. We begin by classifying alternative rationing criteria according to their ethical basis. ⋯ We submit that a just health care system will not limit basic health care to persons unable to pay for it. Furthermore, justice in health care requires limiting publicly-financed non-basic health care, striving for equality in access to basic health care, and relying on medical benefit to ration non-basic health care.