SHOULD HEALTH-CARE BE RATIONED BY AGE

Can rationing of health care by chronological age be justified on ethi cal grounds? The principles of equality, solidarity, liberty and effic iency are used as value premises in the discussion. Health care ration ing by age is inconsistent with the principles of equality and liberty . But in some situations such rationing has support from the principle s of solidarity and efficiency. The compromise suggested is that, as a rule, rationing by age should not be permitted, except in situations with intrinsic scarcity (as is the case with transplantation) and in s ituations with temporary extrinsic scarcity (as was the case with dial ysis for a period of time). However, the main purpose is not to defend this position, but to identify and analyze the ethical conflicts such rationing gives rise to.