Rationing health care by age

The scientific and technological evolution, and the consequent access to new and more sofisticated medicines and diagnostic therapy, is being held responsible for the increase of health costs which are capable to compromise the satisfaction of all needs. Because of the lack of resources it is necessary to impose a prioritization of needs and, consequently, a reflection of the used criterias. Age is often pointed out as the preferencial criterion to rationalize health care. The utilitarist argument of more life time and productivity after treatments, or the so called intergerational equity, is used as an argument to support the age criterion. Therefore, we will look at and reflect about the ethic legitimacy of rationing health care by age, mainly considering the particular vulnerability of people at an advanced age.