Autonomy, Coercion, and Public Healthcare Guarantees: The Uptake of Sofosbuvir in Germany

Abstract

Health insurance coverage for incarcerated citizens is generally acceptable by Western standards. However, it creates internal tensions with the prevailing justifications for public healthcare. In particular, a conceptualization of medical care as a source of autonomy enhancement does not align with the decreased autonomy of incarceration and the needs-based conceptualization of medical care in cases of imprisonment; and rejecting responsibility as a criterion for assigning medical care conflicts with the use of responsibility as a criterion for assigning punishment. The recent introduction of sofosbuvir in Germany provides a particularly instructive illustration of such tensions. It requires searching for a refined reflective equilibrium regarding the scope, limits, and justifications of publicly guaranteed care.