A framework for luck egalitarianism in health and healthcare

• Published in: Journal of medical ethics Vol. 41; no. 2; pp. 165 - 169
• Main Authors: Albertsen, Andreas, Knight, Carl
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group 01.02.2015; BMJ Publishing Group Ltd; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Bioethics; Costs; Decision Making; Delivery of Health Care - economics; Delivery of Health Care - ethics; Distributive justice; Egalitarianism; Fortune; Health aspects; Health Behavior; Health Care Rationing - ethics; Health Services Needs and Demand; Humans; Isolationism; Medical care; Medical care (Private); Political philosophy and medical ethics; Social aspects; Social Justice; Taxes; Theory; Ethics; Public Health Ethics; Distributive justice; Luck Egalitarianism; Political Philosophy; Allocation of Health Care Resources
• ISSN: 0306-6800; 1473-4257
• DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2013-101666

Several attempts have been made to apply the choice-sensitive theory of distributive justice, luck egalitarianism, in the context of health and healthcare. This article presents a framework for this discussion by highlighting different normative decisions to be made in such an application, some of the objections to which luck egalitarians must provide answers and some of the practical implications associated with applying such an approach in the real world. It is argued that luck egalitarians should address distributions of health rather than healthcare, endorse an integrationist theory that combines health concerns with general distributive concerns and be pluralist in their approach. It further suggests that choice-sensitive policies need not be the result of applying luck egalitarianism in this context.