Specialty law digest. Health care (Monthly)
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In the last fifteen years, medical technology has made significant and spectacular advances. Hemodialysis, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, CT scanners, and organ transplants are among the treatments now available to patients. In recent months, in fact, the media has reported the increased use of artificial hearts, heart transplants, and liver transplants. ⋯ Consequently, he rejects the rationing of expensive but available lifesaving medical technologies. Second, he argues that the increased availability of the technologies and the recent expansion of patient rights to sue will result in a substantial number of judicial challenges to rationing. Finally, he suggests detailed criteria to aid the courts in deciding whether a resource has been improperly rationed.