health care is rationed in the united states this happens in public hospitals that provide care for the uninsured and those patients participating in socialized systems such as medicare and medicaid for example there is a greater demand for dialysis xigirs colonoscopies and new technologies like heartmate than what is being supplied to these patients instead of spending more money to meet the demand demand is artificially lowered through denial of treatment or waiting times this is rationing in the normal sense of the term rationing is not normally used to refer to being unable to afford certain health care services in a free market system