[Relationship between prioritisation and rationing--two models].

The starting point of the present paper is the different uses of the terms prioritisation and rationing in the debate about resource allocation in health care. Two models of the relationship between prioritisation and rationing are developed. They are intended to contribute to a deeper understanding of the basic concepts. The first model of explicit priority setting assumes deliberate prioritisation which may form the basis of explicit rationing, but also of rationalisation and quality improvements. The second model, representing the rationing perspective, conceives rationing as a societal phenomenon whose implicit prioritisation criteria have to be deduced by means of interpretation. The two models can be distinguished from each other both theoretically and by their application in practice. Some advantages and disadvantages of the models are discussed.