MAXIMIZING HEALTH BENEFITS VS EGALITARIANISM - AN AUSTRALIAN SURVEY OF HEALTH ISSUES

Economists have often treated the objective of health services as bein g the maximization of the QALYs gained, irrespective of how the gains are distributed. In a cross section of Australians such a policy of di stributive neutrality received: (a) very little support when health be nefits to young people compete with health benefits to the elderly; (b ) only moderate support when those who can become a little better comp ete with those who can become much better; (c) only moderate support w hen smokers compete with non smokers; (d) some support when young chil dren compete with newborns; and (e) wide spread support when parents o f dependent children compete with people without children. Overall, th e views of the study population were strongly egalitarian. A policy of health benefit maximization received very limited support when the co nsequence is a loss of equity and access to services for the elderly a nd for people with a limited potential for improving their health.