Ethics and financing: overview of the U.S. health care system

An overview of the financing decisions that occurred with the U.S. health system during the past five decades was presented in relation to the ethical issues which gave rise to and resulted from those financing decisions. This health system evolved from decision-making grounded in altruism through increasing the access and supply of resources to a position of caution and financial prudence. Recently the decision-making became grounded in pragmatism with the realization that attempts to provide everyone with all possible health services on demand cannot be achieved. Financing decision have resulted in a health care system based on acute care and sophisticated technology but with too many hospital beds and physicians, both geographically maldistributed. Since this acute care system has been successful in preventing premature deaths, our population now lives longer and develops chronic illnesses which require different interventions; the system has neglected to focus on prevention and adequate care for long-term diseases. It has created a growing population of uninsured who are unable to afford health care when illness occurs. Alternative strategies were discussed at three levels of the health system. At the overall system level, the following was proposed: consistent application of ethical principles most appropriate to allocation decisions and the creation of health policy which encompasses chronic care and disease prevention components. At the organizational level, health administrators and local community leaders must cooperatively address local health issues; medical education should focus on long-term care and disease prevention; and medical practice should reduce variation in treatment patterns. At the population level, healthy lifestyles must be encouraged in addition to the development of alternative reimbursement plans to maximize access to health care. Davis and Rowland (1990:298) have stated that our nation's image is strained" ... as a just and humane society when significant portions of the population endure avoidable pain, suffering and even death because of an inability to pay for health." These are turbulent times in health care but addressing the ethical issues at many levels may lead to successful alternatives and ultimately to a workable health strategy for this country.