Solidarity in Health and Social Care in Europe

This volume is written for scholars and analysts in the field of health policy, philosophy of health care, and biomedical ethics, particularly the ethics of resource allocation and the just distribution of scarce resources. The book aims to provide students and scholars with an improved understanding of solidarity as a fundamental value in health care and social care, by comparing it with traditional approaches to justice, fairness, and individual freedom. In addition, the reader is provided with empirical evidence of the socio-cultural views of solidarity, which may contribute to a better understanding of its determinants at the national level. The book has strong applied and policy dimensions. By giving examples of the way solidarity can be institutionalized and practised, the book may make an important contribution to the debate on health care reform and health care policy in Europe as well as the United States.