Rationing of Expensive Medical Care in a Transition Country -- Nihil Novum?
Creator
Krizova, E.
Simek, J.
Bibliographic Citation
Journal of Medical Ethics 2002 October; 28(5): 308-312
Abstract
This article focuses on rationing of expensive medical care in the Czech Republic. It distinguishes between political and clinical decision levels and reviews the debate in the Western literature on explicit and implicit rules. The contemporary situation of the Czech health care system is considered from this perspective. Rationing reoccurred in the mid 90s after the shift in health care financing from fee-for-service to prospective budgets. The lack of explicit rules is obvious. Implicit forms of rationing, done by physicians at the clinical level prevail, implying uncontrolled power of the medical profession and lacking transparency for ethical considerations of equity to access. It seems to be acceptable for physicians to play the role of allocators, probably because of their experience with rationing during the socialist period. Traditional rationing stereotypes from the previous regime seem to persist despite the health care system transformation during the 90s.
Date
2002-10Collections
Metadata
Show full item recordRelated items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Theory and Practice of Informed Consent in the Czech Republic
Krizova, Eva; Simek, Jiri (2007-05)The large-scale change of Czech society since 1989 has involved the democratic transformation of the health system. To empower the patient was one important goal of the healthcare reform launched immediately after the ... -
Rationing Expensive Lifesaving Medical Treaments
Mehlman, Maxwell J. (1985) -
Rationing Expensive Lifesaving Medical Treaments
Mehlman, Maxwell J. (1985)