We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Solidarity and Responsibility in Health Care.
- Authors
Davies, Ben; Savulescu, Julian
- Abstract
Some healthcare systems are said to be grounded in solidarity because healthcare is funded as a form of mutual support. This article argues that health care systems that are grounded in solidarity have the right to penalise some users who are responsible for their poor health. This derives from the fact that solidary systems involve both rights and obligations and, in some cases, those who avoidably incur health burdens violate obligations of solidarity. Penalties warranted include direct patient contribution to costs, and lower priority treatment, but not typically full exclusion from the healthcare system. We also note two important restrictions on this argument. First, failures of solidary obligations can only be assumed under conditions that are conducive to sufficiently autonomous choice, which occur when patients are given 'Golden Opportunities' to improve their health. Second, because poor health does not occur in a social vacuum, an insistence on solidarity as part of healthcare is legitimate only if all members of society are held to similar standards of solidarity. We cannot insist upon, and penalise failures of, solidarity only for those who are unwell, and who cannot afford to evade the terms of public health.
- Subjects
MEDICAL care; SOLIDARITY; RESPONSIBILITY; THERAPEUTICS; MUTUAL funds
- Publication
Public Health Ethics, 2019, Vol 12, Issue 2, p133
- ISSN
1754-9973
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/phe/phz008