Healthcare Rationing

Five Points "The inevitable result of socialized medicine is the rationing of healthcare."

uh ... what?  This comment reveals a perspective that I fear is more destructive than constructive as we consider options to improve the delivery of healthcare in the United States.

Let's not forget what ration means.  The root word is ratio:

Latin:

ratio -onis f. [a reckoning , account, consideration, calculation]; 'rationem ducere', [to compute]; [any transaction, affair, business; a reason, motive, ground; a plan, scheme, system; reasonableness, method, order; a theory, doctrine, science; the reasoning faculty].

ratiocinatio -onis f. [reasoning; esp. a form of argument , syllogism].

ratiocinativus -a -um [argumentative; syllogistic].

ratiocinator -oris m. [a calculator , accountant].

ratiocinor -ari dep. [to compute , calculate; to argue, infer, conclude].

rationalis -e [reasonable , rational].

rationarium -i n. [a statistical account].

Rationing is all about distributing a limited resource in a reasonable manner.  All countries ration healthcare.  In most countries, the goal is to distribute this resource carefully based on need.  Yes, someone has to decide what tests get done and what tests don't .. and this usually involves some sort of central management.

But in this country, we ration healthcare based on a far less "rational" variable: ability to pay.  The poor and working poor in this country get worse care than the wealthy  .. and of course there are many variations in between.

There is a lot to debate .. but let's not throw stones fro our glass house and denounce healthcare rationing.