Religious perspectives on access to health care: a Jewish perspective

There are three ethical ideas that undergird a Jewish approach to allocating scarce health care resources: the unique and absolute importance of every single human being, justice, and love. These three ideas are examined in light of the legal discussions that provide the context for health care decision making. Two classical sources are used, one that adjudicates the apportionment of a single flask of water between two men in the desert, and the other that creates an order of precedence when there are certain threatening situations. In the development of the legal tradition, several issues determine who receives care: ownership of resources, equitable distribution of resources, and effectiveness of treatment options. The obligation to provide access to medical care is reinforced by the values of tzedakah (justice) and love.