Dolan [Dolan, P., 1998, The measurement of individual utility and social welfare. Journal of Health Economics, Vol. 17, pp. 39-52] in a recent paper suggested an empirical method for estimating the shape of the social welfare function. Using a simple theoretical model it is shown that Dolan's proposed empirical method has no theoretical foundation. The main problem with the approach is that it measures only the altruistic values that individuals attach to other peoples' health status and ignores the utility that individuals attach to their own health status.