12504. THE ETHICS OF HEALTH CARE DISTRIBUTION. Presents an analysis and assessment of the moral issues surrounding the distribution of health care in the United States from the perspective of the early 21st century. The analysis is structured as hypothetical testimony from an expert in health policy ethics presented at public hearings which aim to reach a broad consensus on the issue of universal health care. The paper argues that access to health care is a right, not a privilege, and as such, ethics imperatives require the development of a viable national health care system which provides equal access to health care for all Americans. 14p., 43f., 27b.