I don't think it's fair to assume that the "rationing board" wouldn't fund the invention of this technology, especially because its cheaper and will save more lives. It does have value.
What I think most people fail to realize is that the amount of money floating around the health-care industry wouldn't change, it would just be allocated in such a manner that the life saving power per dollar is maximized.
That said, this is getting off topic, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is deleted, but I would be happy to continue this in pm.