Voices From The Nursing School
ADNA Discrimination Is Illegal!
My nursing colleague, “S,” has a 50/50 chance of inheriting Polycystic Kidney Disease from her father. At the age of 28, through genetic testing, she will find out if she has the gene that will inevitably cause her body to develop cysts in her kidneys, liver and other organs. There is no cure, so why would she get screened? And more immediately, if she has the gene, will she be dropped by her health insurance company for having a pre-existing condition?
S’s situation is relevant to the bill the senate unanimously approved HR 493 last week; a bill entitled the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). As the title suggests anyone who has a genetic test and finds out they carry genes that may cause them to develop a disease later in life, can’t be discriminated against. Your genes are now protected against discrimination in the same way you can’t be discriminated against for your age, gender, race, religion, etc. Neither your employer nor health insurance companies can use your genetic test results against you, for example by firing you or declaring that you have a pre-existing condition and dropping your health coverage. While I find this a step in the right direction for treating long-term health outcomes and protecting patient privacy, I’m left wondering why we are allowed to discriminate against people once they develop a disease. I’m beginning to think that healthcare is a right….
… The solution for our patients, friends, family, colleagues and ourselves is already here, we have a bill, SB 840, in the state of California and HR 676 is a federal bill. As students and American residents we are all in this healthcare system together and as voters and constituents we have the power to change the system into a fair one. Everyone in, nobody out! NS4universalcare.blogspot.com
David Golden also supports HR 676, a Canadian this it is the best proposal for American healthcare.