title: The new system of health care funding: ethical and social instances.
abstract: Ethical instances emerging from the funding system introduced in Italy in 1995 and confirmed in 1999, aiming at the rationalization of National Health Service, are considered. Based on the observation that economic ethics in health care is mainly confronted by the topic of service organization, the causes of the increment in health expenditure, equity in health economy and relative theories are dealt with. The system of payment according to service provided, based on Diagnosis Related Groups is analyzed from the ethical viewpoint and its potentialities and limits are evidenced with respect to the sick person. Possible economy-oriented deviations, the health care service as enterprise can induced in health operators, are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Bioetica, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Roma, Italy. istbio@uni.net
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Spagnolo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sacchini
mesh_terms: D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups / Q000191:economics; D004995:Ethics, Professional; D015276:Health Care Rationing / Q000191:economics*; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012935:Social Justice; D012941:Social Responsibility