Question

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.

Answer 1

Rationing is the delaying or withholding of health care. People have to get the needed treatment irrespective of the healthcare cost. Sometimes people rationed themselves because of increased healthcare costs and lack of health coverage. The healthcare reform should be changed according to the demand and the need for health services.

The health professionals have four major ethical principles such as Beneficence, Nonmaleficence, autonomy, and the justice. The healthcare personnel facing a number of ethical challenges in their work. Healthcare rationing limits the benefits on the individuals. Beneficence is doing good for the patient. For Example, the patient needs advanced care and technology to improve the progress of disease condition. The health professionals are in the place to provide the needed care despite the ration.

The darkest side of the healthcare industry is the rationing by the way of

• shortage of the health professionals and short supply of physical resources.
• Making persons for a long time waiting for the surgeries.
• Denied access to get quality treatment.
• Discrimination of patients based on the ration regardless of the needs.

Stakeholders are directly affected by the healthcare rationing. Making compliance with the ethical code of conduct the organization must discuss the ethical issues with the stakeholders. Sometimes the stakeholders must take unethical decisions in order to make the profit. In such situation, the organizations must approach the stakeholders to take ethical decision making by giving alternative options.

Continued growth of health care cost changes the healthcare reform by Allocation of resources based on the availability, limitless healthcare to the public, redirection of economic resources etc. The federal government should take political challenges. The policymakers should decide over the allocation of resources. Eliminate deficit in the budget of healthcare. Eliminate of fraud and abuse related to rationing. Better health outcomes by providing essential goods and services. The Affordable Care Act has to take steps in order to revise the rationing model of U.S by expansion and access to insurance coverage.