By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    physical health
    5 Ways Playing Games Can Improve Neural and Physical Health
    September 9, 2022
    Reasons For Hair Loss and Its Treatment
    Reasons For Hair Loss and Its Treatment
    February 16, 2022
    healthcare organization
    5 Actionable Strategies For Healthcare Organizations
    August 15, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    4 Reasons Chris Cornell’s Death Raises Medical Ethics Questions
    December 19, 2018
    What If You Could Sell Your Vote?
    August 24, 2017
    The Sleepy American
    September 12, 2017
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Hard choices on Health Care at Home and Away
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Global Healthcare > Hard choices on Health Care at Home and Away
Global HealthcareMedical Ethics

Hard choices on Health Care at Home and Away

Amanda Glassman
Amanda Glassman
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

As spending cuts hit federal and state health programs, policy-makers are obliged to make harder choices about who will receive what health care. This week brought news of an attempt to set priorities using cost-effectiveness analysis to determine which recipients will gain most years of healthy life via a transplant. Using these criteria, the nation’s organ-transplant network is considering giving kidneys first to younger, healthier people instead of using a waiting list (see here). The ethical issues are not simple. Such an approach ignores the rule of rescue, which argues that the sickest must be treated first, even when money might be more efficiently spent to improve health in the larger population. It has equity implications, valuing the lives of the young more than the old. But it is a necessary discussion if the health system is actually supposed to produce “health” and not just services. To deal with the ethical issues, the 30-member UNOS Kidney Transplantation Committee issued a document for public comment and debate. This is an important development in U.S. health policy – there is both sound economic evaluation and explicit consideration and public consultation on the ethical issues surrounding the recommended decision. It is a baby step out of the “covert rationing” (see here) that currently characterizes the U.S. system towards a simpler, evidence-based and transparent decision-making process. You might not agree with the UNOS recommendation. You should have the opportunity to express and defend your position. But at least you can understand why the decision was taken and appeal if necessary. The example of the UK’s National Institute for Care and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is often cited along with other European examples, but even less affluent countries are moving faster towards overt priority-setting than the United States. Colombia, for example, is a middle-income country in Latin America that found itself funding an increasing number of high-cost, low-impact interventions like bariatric surgery while under-funding cost-effective public health interventions. For example, a third of all children are anemic and 14% of children are malnourished. This year, the country created a health technology assessment agency to carry out economic evaluations, consult and deliberate with the public and stakeholders, and recommend interventions and target groups to be included or excluded for public funding under their insurance scheme. Can the US catch up? At CGD we will be benchmarking priority-setting processes and institutions around the world, identifying opportunities for regional and global public good s in this space. There may be something in there for us gringos. Stay tuned.

TAGGED:medical ethics
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share
By Amanda Glassman
As a healthcare blogger and author, I have been writing about the latest developments in the medical field for over 10 years. My work has been featured on various online publications, including Healthline and WebMD. I am passionate about educating people on how to stay healthy through proper nutrition and exercise practices. In addition to my blog posts, I have also authored several books that focus on health topics such as dieting tips, disease prevention strategies, and mental health awareness initiatives. My goal is to provide readers with reliable information so they can make informed decisions regarding their well-being.

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025
engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Following the Prevention Fund Cut Trail…

February 28, 2012
healthcare career
CareerGlobal HealthcarePolicy & Law

4 Practical Tips For Building a Healthcare Career

October 24, 2022
Patient Perception
Health

Medical Scrubs And Patient Perception: How Clothing Affects Patient Trust

July 11, 2023
Medical EthicsPublic Health

Lessons For Understanding The Cord Blood Transplant Process

May 22, 2020
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?