Insideous Rationing

I am often told, "The American public will never stand for rationing." It may be true that if someone were to just come out and say, "We're going to ration health care" people would be up in arms. But, it doesn't work that way. Look at developments this week.

An official governmental agencey determined that women do not need mammograms starting at age 40. Instead, they should start at 50. This announcement was met with a chorus of people and organizations saying, in essence, "Wait a minute. If I had waited until 50, I would have died."

Suppose we have a national health care system that provides all "governmental recommended care." Would that plan cover mammograms for a 42 year old woman? No, it would not. As a consequence, health care services are being rationed.

Now, suppose also that individuals were precluded from obtaining coverage beyond the coverage provided by the national health care system as proposed by some in the current administration. A 42 year old could not get a mammogram even if she was willing to pay for it on her own.

As we point out in our book, To Tax or To Ration, rationing is already with us. It will only become more extensive. Now is the time to get involved in the conversation.