The Arizona Department of Health Services has instructed hospitals to institute "crisis health standards." That is a nice name for rationing healthcare. It the government won't call it what it is, the media certainly should. Crisis health standards guide the allocation of scare resources to patients based upon factors such as likelihood of survival. But, what other factors are being taken into account and who is monitoring this healthcare rationing system? Does ability to pay come into consideration in this rationing system? How about race? Government mismanagement of this pandemic had brought us to the point of rationing life-saving care. Call it what it is. Monitor the rationing to guard against abuses. Make certain that those who got us into this mess are held accountable.
Bob Schwartz
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
