Overview

After exploring several theories of health care distribution, Sara E. Austin argues that all of them are problematic and attempts to solve the problem by analyzing the implicit principles of health care distribution in the United States. Austin's main claim is that if these principles were strictly observed in the practice of health care, the resulting distribution might be fair. This book is not an apology for the existing distribution; rather, it is a call to both citizens and legislators to make public decisions according to the values expressed by the principles articulated here and in recognition of the good of health care.

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9780820449357

Table of Contents

Reviews

Public policy on health care is a minefield of controversy. Dr. Austin's book assesses the current state of health care delivery in the United States, finds it, unsurprisingly, broken - albeit rather less broken than many think - and proposes a moderate, three-pronged approach to fixing it. Seeking, with Aristotle, a middle road, Austin steers between the pillars of 'government hands off!' libertarianism on the one hand, and single-payer socialized medicine on the other. She finds that government-provided, employer-provided, and free-market fee-for-service medicine all have their roles in a just and practical health care system. In the tradition of American political philosophy, Austin's proposals are compassionate, fair-minded, and pragmatic. (Kerrin McMahan, Chair, Philosophy Department, East Los Angeles College)

Author Information

The Author: A product of the Midwest, Sara E. Austin currently resides in Southern California. She received her Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of California, Riverside, and teaches at several institutions, including the University of California, Riverside, California State University, Fullerton, and California State University, San Bernardino.

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