Resolving ethical conflicts in a managed health care environment

The managed health care environment is replete with situations that create ethical conflicts for the professional social worker. This article examines two such conflicts-competing fiduciary relationships and justice versus in justice-as they relate to social work practice and the 1996 revised NASW Co de of Ethics. Mechanisms to reduce these ethical conflicts are presented. T he obligation for social workers to participate in social action as a metho d of reducing injustices found in managed care environments is examined thr ough the principle of distributive justice, egalitarianism, and the NASW Co de of Ethics.