To ration or not to ration? When asked to read these two different opinions on health care I was so intrigued. I would have never thought that this cold be an option for the U.S. to decide to help get out of debt and save money on health care. Although both writers made very good points, its quite obvious in my opinion what the right thing to do is. I don’t understand how anyone could live with himself or herself if they picked to rationalize health care.
In my reading Laster made a very good point that stuck out to me. Laster stated, “rationing would narrow our horizons, inhibit creative imagination and vision, slow the progress of Medicare and trap us within the limitations of today’s knowledge and todays technology-a high price to pay” (laster, 1990) Why would scientist want to find cures for life threatening disease if our health care wont even treat patients with life threatening diseases because it cost them to much? Who is equal to go that can say one person is worthy of living than another? Singer made a very good point that we put a price on our own lives with saying how much we will pay for airbags or car insurance. Although I don’t think that putting a price on our health, I think that’s taking a risk. When it comes down to a person being sick and loosing their life I guarantee they are willing to pay anything for their life. The part Singer put in his article that touched me was when he said a Washington post asked Daniel Zemel, a Rabbi what he thought about federal agencies putting a dollar value on human life his response was a Jewish teaching, “if you put one human life on one side of the scale, and you put the rest of the world on the other side, the scale is balanced equally.”(Singer, 2009)

1. I disagree. I am a strong believer that no one and put a price on someone’s life. Who are we to decide who lives or dies? I am a Christian and I think that this is something we should not medal in life is precious and its not our place to try to save a couple of bucks by killing someone. I believe that if the last movie of Harry Potter can bring in over 100 million dollars than we should have plenty of money to save lives.
2. Qaly is basically how much can we get out of something or how many lives can we save verses spending all this money on one life and is it worth it. Putting my feelings aside this theory does make sense because we are saving more lives by sacrificing one but I just don’t think this is ethical.

1. Laster agrees that health care rises much faster each year. HE also agrees that new research is jacking health care cost. Laster also agrees that people are multiplying and their needs are more complex.
2. I stated in my writing, why would scientist want to find cures if they know they will never be used because it cost too much. Another reason is because by rationing health care the more complex patient illnesses won’t get treated, therefore there is no reason to find cures.

REFERENCES

Laster, Leonard. (1990). “Rationing Medical Care: A Second Opinion. Retrieved from the Washington Post, August 30,1990.

Singer, Peter. (2009). “Why We Must Ration Health Care”. Retrieved From The New York Times, July 15, 2009.