Blog #16: Opposing Viewpoints and Genetic Testing for Life: The Book

HEALTH CARE IS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT

"A Good Case for Universal Health Care," by Bryan Young: I think if Young was talking about genetic screenings or people who are getting the test done, he would encourage them to pay for it through their health insurance with a back up of 'well it's occured within you or your ancestors or whoever in your family so it is only right to take preventative measures in you or your future babies lives.' I draw a modest income with my media production business, but being self-employed makes health insurance damn near impossible to afford. I think this is some sort of backup to the reason I would think he would encourage them to pay for the test through health insurance, then he'd probably go on about why universal health care is good and tell them all about everything he encountered.

“Health Care Is a Right, Not a Privilege,” by Sen. Bernie Sanders.: Today, 46 million people have no health insurance and even more are underinsured with high deductibles and co-payments. If Sanders was talking about genetic screenings while justifying that health care is a fundamental right, not a priviledge, I think he would argue that since the genetic tests are so exspensive and theres a huge amount of people who don't have health insurance, health insurance should be guaranteed. Therefore allowing anyone to recieve the genetic test so they can pay through their insurance. More than 18,000 Americans die every year from preventable illnesses because they do not get to the doctor when they should. He'd also probably use this quote to justify the whole pay with your health coverage insurance plan so you can get a genetic test that will give youinsight on the diseases your future babies might be diagnosed with.

“We Are Not Free: Health Care as a Human Right,” by Helen Redmond.:The health care crisis impacts every aspect of our lives down to the most seemingly insignificant personal decisions we make. This national bully terrorizes and forces us to live in fear. She would probably try to comfort the people and tell them they are not the only people who are afraid of the debt they could get into when seeking a genetic test. She would probably name all sorts of other medical or genetic stuff that people are afraid to go because the cost is just overwhelming. People with serious mental illness encounter stigma, discrimination and difficulty accessing treatment. This relates to something that I wanted to talk about in my article; Genetic Discrimination. I say that because people are afraid to get genetic test because of what the results may bear....and if and employer or insurance company finds out they can genetically discriminate that person and deny them the job or health insurance in order to save theirselves the time/money. She claims that this is one of the ways that the current health care ploicy is bullying people everywhere so she could talk to the people who are considering genetic tests and say ' if we had health care as a fundamental right this wouldnn't happen, thus gaining more people who are on her side.

HEALTH CARE IS NOT A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT

“Health Care Is Not a Right,” by Jacob G. Hornberger.:

I think that Hornberger would add this genetic testing to a reason of why there shouldn't be public or universal health care (is there a difference between the two?) because the US tax dollars that everyone pays, may possibly end up paying for some of someones genetic testing bill- and everyone isn't getting these tests conducted. "If I have a right to something, then doesn’t that mean that you have a correlative duty to provide it? If you’re a doctor, then it means that you are required to serve my needs, like it or not. If I need an operation, then you cannot say “no” because that would be denying me my right to health care." He would probably use this to people who are trying to pay for their genetic testing through their health insurance plan and say 'this is the reason why we shouldn't have health care!' Maybe I just viewed this as a really bad article and thought it seemed to be using a very accusatory tone...

“There Ain't No Such Thing as a Free Lumpectomy: The folly of a "right to health care," by Jacob Sullum.It also reveals a radical assault on the traditional American understanding of rights. The Framers believed the Constitution recognized pre-existing rights, protecting them from violation by the government. The common law likewise developed as a way of protecting people from wrongful interference by their neighbors. If people have rights simply by virtue of being human, those rights can be violated (by theft or murder, for example) even in the absence of government. I think if this guy had to write anything concerning whether people should pay with their health insurance for a genetic test he would say that it doesn't matter, but he would probably tell them that if they were interested in paying through health insurance but don't even have any money that they should consider just not even having one. If he finds out those people believe in health care as something they should just be born with he'd probably use the constitution to prove them wrong.
“Health Care is not a right,” by Iain Murray and Roger Abbott.This claim is misleading for several reasons, but most fundamentally because of its conflation of “rights” and “needs.” Obamacare opponents need to address this emotional appeal. After all, who can be against basic “rights”? In this quote he was referring to the fact that nationalizing health care will supposedly just fill the needs of everyone who doesnt have health insurance is misleading to people who don't really know all of the basics of the health care systems. He would argue the practicality of using health insurance to pay for genetic testing because that is something thats not really requiring medical attention, its just you wanting to conduct the test to see if you might need some sort of medical attnetion for you future babies. He'd probably call them totally skeptical and just over worried and not knowing the differences of WANTS and NEEDS.

MY OPINION

Well health care can impact genetic testing because depending on what test you want to have done, genetic testing can be pricey. I think it can range from $100-$3,000 and not everyone has that much money in their bank accounts. So comes the question of can I pay for this with my health coverage? Which ties into the debate over whether there should be universal health care or survival of the fittest type health care where its every man for himself. I guess my personal opinion is mixed...I think it depends on certain circumstances and dilemmas for universal healthcare. I think Universal Healthcare shouldn't cover the cost of something like genetic testing, because its something rare, and if you want to have it, the payment should come from your own pocket not someone elses.