Rationing of Health Care
Title
Rationing of Health Care
Author
Mechanic, David
Research Area
Social Institutions
Topic
Health Care Institutions
Abstract
Rationing refers to the allocation of a scarce supply relative to need and demand. In market‐based economies, price typically establishes access to valued commodities except when ethical values, norms, and technical limitations make it impossible to allocate simply on the basis of price. Commonly recognized prototypes include allocation of scarce resources such as gasoline during war or currently in transplantation where the number of available organs is insufficient to respond to need and there are long waiting lists.