Ethics of Insurance and Genetic Testing
Legislation limits the ability of insurers to discriminate against people based on the results of genetic tests. But what about the reverse phenomenon? Should people with good genes be able to get lower rates if they volunteer their results? One insurer says the mere fact that you took a genetic test should lower your rates – regardless of the results.
This gives a whole new meaning to the idea of asymmetric information. Heads, I win. Tails, you lose.
The question is deceptively simple. If everyone who can prove he doesn’t have the gene for Huntington’s desease does so and gets a lower premium in return, then everyone who is left over (and doesn’t reveal his test results) will de facto pay higher premiums even though they are theoretically not being discriminated against.
Good point Ken. The right to gain from good gene test outcomes is incompatible with the desire to be unaffected by bad gene test outcomes.
What’s magic about genetic testing? If you support risk rating in general, why not go all the way? Or if not, what is it about genetic information that deserves special treatment?
A woman with a sister, mother and Grandmother who had breast cancer is a higher risk but health insurance doesn’t even ask. AHIP (Formally HIAA) has a deal in right now with Obama’s central planners to eliminate medical underwriting on Individual Medical. That will make all healthy peoples’ premiums increase. Hillary said, “Younger people don’t mind paying more because presumably they will be older someday too.”
Can’t your fenird read? Everyone that applies for insruance gets a policy. This will tell you what is and is not covered. Or is your fenird cheap and didn’t want to purchase a policy that covered anything because he didn’t think he would ever need it never been to the doctor .that sort of thing. You get what you pay for and being in the insurance industry we see it a lot. I don’t need that coverage. Its the same way with life insurance. I’m not going to die. Well how stupid are you? The only thing that the Omaba health care reform is going to do is give more to the poor and take away from the middle class. Soon there will not be a middle class because everything that they have worked for will be stripped from them and given to the poor. The poor need to step up to the plate and work hard just like the middle class has to get them to the middle class. We see people all the time .their fat, lazy, baby makers and just don’t want to do anything but sit on the couch and watch tv and eat tater chips. They don’t take care of their possessions or their kids or even their own bodies. Sure so lets give them more reason to just sit there and do nothing. Their mentality is if I just sit here someone will GIVE me something. It is DUE me because I’m fat and lazy. Then there is the illegal aliens. Okay lets give to them also. Why not? They live here .don’t pay any taxes .the money they make goes back to their families in their home country .but why not GIVE to them too. What do they contribute to society? They don’t speak the language so we have to hire special people for them in the schools so they are not left out. When they get sick they run to the emergency room. In my household if your sick unless it is life threatening you’ll get better. A cold is no reason to run to the emergency room. But the illegals do because guess what we GIVE it to them. Healthcare reform is not the answer. GIVING to everyone all the time will not solve the problems. Taking from those that work hard to give to those who choose not to only takes away from those who choose to work. This country is in the toliet and it is swirling faster and faster because Obama keeps spending all this money. Have you ever thought where is all this money coming from? Hmmmm the middle class? No more bale outs. If you spend all your money and can’t make your business run then you should close your doors. Send the illeglas home to make it on their own in their own country where everyone speaks their language. Make those that don’t want to work get a job. I don’t care if it is digging ditches. All we have done is enable this whole country. And what does the future hold? Look around. A bunch of fat lazy kids following in their poor parents footsteps. Their has to be change but healthcare reform is NOT the answer.