Week 1 – The Concepts of Market Justice and Social Justice
James R. Freehahn
HSM 315 The American Healthcare System
Instructor Dr. Cheryl Chance, PhD.
February 27, 2015

The Concepts of Market Justice and Social Justice
Introduction
In this paper, I will describe the concepts of market justice and social justice, explain how the two principles complement each other and in what way they conflict in delivery of health care in the United States. Secondly, I will discuss how health care is rationed in the market justice and social justice systems. Finally, I will discuss the types of health insurance that is based on market justice and social justice principles.
The Concepts of Market Justice and Social Justice
The concept of market justice can be described as a distributional principle according to which health care is most equitably distributed through the market forces of supply and demand, rather than government interventions.
The concept of social justice can be best described as a distribution principle, according to which health care is most equitably distributed by a government-run national health care program and is minimally affected by market forces.
How Market Justice and Social Justice Ration Health Care
Market justice and social justice distribution principles both compliment and conflict in the U.S. system of health care delivery. Market justice ascribes the fair distribution of health care to the market forces in a free economy including medical services distributed based on people’s willingness and ability to pay.
The principle of market justice places the responsibility for the fair distribution of health care on the market forces in a free economy. Medical care and its benefits are distributed on the basis of people’s willingness and ability to pay (Santerre & Neun, 1996, p. 7). In contrast, social justice emphasizes the well-being