Equity and equality in health and health care.
This paper explores four definitions of equity in health care: equality of utilization, distribution according to need, equality of access, and equality of health. We argue that the definitions of 'need' in the literature are inadequate and propose a new definition. We also argue that, irrespective of how need and access are defined, the four definitions of equity are, in general, mutually incompatible. In contrast to previous authors, we suggest that equality of health should be the dominant principle and that equity in health care should therefore entail distributing care in such a way as to get as close as is feasible to an equal distribution of health.
Department of Economics and Related Studies, University of York, Heslington, UK.
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Culyer
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Wagstaff
D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003625:Data Collection; D015276:Health Care Rationing / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research; D015233:Models, Statistical; D040841:Resource Allocation; D012935:Social Justice / Q000191:economics*; D006113:United Kingdom