THEORETICAL REFLECTIONS

Abstract

In many Western societies, the just distribution of health care within the context of a revived awareness of resource scarcity has become one of the more prominent social and political problems. For a variety of reasons, the costs of health care and the concerns about its affordability have increased dramatically. Tremendous advancements in medical science and technology, combined with increasing demand for services, have exerted considerable pressure on domestic economies. Research and development activities that lead to cutting-edge medicine are expensive. Consequently, the delivery of the resulting technologically advanced medical services and products can be quite costly. The expansion of medical possibilities, in combination with improved life expectancy, means that more health care services must be provided to a greater number of people and for a longer period of their lives.