House Passes Anti-Genetic Discrimination Law 414-1 - Guess Who The “1″ Is?
Yep…and the Senate passed it 95-0. Can you spot Dr. Josef Mengele in the photo?
WASHINGTON- Companies would no longer be able to use genetic information like a person’s predisposition for breast cancer, sickle cell or diabetes to make insurance or job decisions under a bill passed by Congress on Thursday.
The House voted 414-1 for the legislation a week after it passed the Senate on a 95-0 vote. The bill would bar health insurance companies from using genetic information to set premiums or determine enrollment eligibility. Similarly, employers could not use genetic information in hiring, firing or promotion decisions.
Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, was the only member of Congress to vote against the bill.
President Bush is expected to sign it into law.
Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., said that for years doctors have been forced to tell women whose families have a history of breast cancer to refuse genetic testing for fear of discrimination.
“They have recommended to them that until a bill such as the one we are passing today becomes law in this country, they should not put at risk their health insurance,” Slaughter said.
(AP)
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I’m not sure what the implications of this law will be.
sounds like a short story I read years ago where society was insane about keeping every one on the same playing field. (if anybody knows the name of this story please remind me) In this story, if you were too pretty you had to wear clown makeup, if you had a beautiful voice they would do surgery on your vocal chords, some shit like that.
Will this law affect the military? they would need to know peoples genetic predispositions for sure
May 1st, 2008 at 11:34 amI think the story you reference was Harrison Bergeron. I usually agree with Paul, but I think he’s wrong about this.
May 1st, 2008 at 11:38 am“Harrison Bergeron” by Vonnegut was very influential for me as I read it in about the sixth grade. It is one of the bricks in my wall, thankyouverymuch!
May 1st, 2008 at 12:44 pmIt is one if the pieces of literature that I highly recommend for young skulls full of mush.
I also include “The Marching Morons” by Kornbluth and the classic, “Starship Troopers” by Heinlein, a book so much more about political philosophy than “shoot em up” that the movie just pissed me off to no end.
I wish that “Gattaca” had been made when I was younger but it is especially relevant to this news. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca
I’m not sure what direction this will take but it sure won’t bring my insurance payments down. I don’t really like to pay for others possible illnesses when the technology is out there to understand the risks to all. I think that the people that have higher risks of “whatever” and that’s the majority of us, would pay a little more, and those others would pay a little less. I don’t think it would be earth shattering. It’s not too much different than the insurance company’s using available technology to find out your driving record and charging you accordingly. Life insurance for stunt men, pilots, extreme sports dudes,
and military personnel is higher or non existent. If “I” guy X could save a few 100 a year on medical insurance because I’m x amount healthier than guy “Y”, who has a history of family falling over dead a 50, or is drinking his liver into oblivion. I’m cool with it….
If we get hillarycare in the future, all we can do is pray to get nothing more serious that a head cold.
May 1st, 2008 at 1:25 pmconsidering we are not funding the science to cure genetic defects the least we can do is protect people from not getting jobs or being denied health insurance because we have funded the science to detect genetic defects, which we could not in the past. This is a good law, all things considered.
May 1st, 2008 at 2:17 pmThe main consequence of this law will be more uninsured people and needless deaths.
See “Genetic Discrimination Saves Lives:” http://mises.org/story/2808
May 1st, 2008 at 5:56 pm