Caring for the Seriously Ill: Cost and Public Policy

The staff at the Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics is finalizing the very last version of “Caring for the Seriously Ill: Cost and Public Policy,” the summer issue guest edited by Robert M. Arnold, Amber E. Barnato, and myself.   

This symposium examines issues at the end of life and the role cost plays in decision making during this time—e.g., how end-of-life expenditures are contributing to overall health care costs, why cost is both an ethical and policy issue, why discussions of cost considerations should begin before the end of life, how end-of-life care is a matter of shared decision making, and the financial hardship cost can create for families caring for their loved ones (and the emotional hardship that can create for the patient).  The authors also discuss the ethical implications of health care rationing, health care accessibility, and futile treatment. Whether discussing the ethics of cost, health care rationing, or just hope in the end-of-life context, the authors address this topic with dignity and thoughtful analysis.