Age-based rationing of health care.

Abstract

The U.S. has focused attention on the rising costs of health care coincident with the increasing age of the population. Arguments have been made to overtly ration care to older persons; however, general acceptance of the need to ration scarce resources, whether or not such a policy is actually formalized, can lead to covert rationing. Some overt rationing has already occurred, some of the data put forth to justify that rationing needs to be challenged, and ethical principles need to be applied to provide appropriate and perhaps less costly care.