Die normative Idee des Gesundheitswesens

The healthcare system is a crisis-ridden institution. From a political perspective, it is subject to constant monitoring, and because austerity measures and budget restructuring are currently all the rage, healthcare often falls victim to considerable cuts which affect substantial parts of the population. However, as far as its economic significance is concerned, healthcare also fuels greed because health is a precious commodity which we are willing to spend a great deal of money on. Economising is the watchword which characterises the persistent tensions that are currently challenging the ethics of the medical and nursing professions. In addition, medical innovations often lead to moral dilemmas. Perhaps we should therefore reconsider some fundamental questions: What is healthcare and why do we have it? Is health a public or a private commodity, and what are the consequences of that? Do principles of fairness underlie the character of healthcare institutions, or should we also think in terms of ‘equitable health’? Is there such a thing as a concept of a healthcare system?