An argument for healthcare rationing

In this lengthy piece for the New York Times, Princeton University bioethics professor Peter Singer says that while "rationing" has become a dirty word in health reform talks, doing so means getting value for the billions the U.S. is spending on healthcare by setting limits on which treatments should be paid for by the public. "If we ration we won't be writing blank checks to pharmaceutical companies for their patented drugs, nor paying for whatever procedures doctors choose to recommend. When public funds subsidize healthcare or provide it directly, it is crazy not to try to get value for money," Singer says.