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Genetic Discrimination Is Coming for Us All
https://www.msn.com ^ | 11/12/2024 | Kristen V. Brown

Posted on 11/14/2024 8:08:46 AM PST by bitt

The news came four years ago, at the end of a casual phone call. Bill’s family had always thought it was a freak coincidence that his father and grandfather both had ALS. But at the end of a catch-up, Bill’s brother revealed that he had a diagnosis too. The familial trend, it turned out, was linked to a genetic mutation. That meant Bill might also be at risk for the disease.

An ALS specialist ordered Bill a DNA test. While he waited for results, he applied for long-term-care insurance. If he ever developed ALS, Bill told me, he wanted to ensure that the care he would need as his nerve cells died and muscles atrophied wouldn’t strain the family finances. When Bill found out he had the mutation, he shared the news with his insurance agent, who dealt him another blow: “I don’t expect you to be approved,” he remembers her saying.

Bill doesn’t have ALS. He’s a healthy 60-year-old man who spends his weekends building his dream home by hand. A recent study of mutations like his suggests that his genetics increase his chances of developing ALS by about 25 percent, on average. Most ALS cases aren’t genetic at all. And yet, Bill felt like he was being treated as if he was already sick. (Bill asked to be identified by his first name only, because he hasn’t disclosed his situation to his employer and worried about facing blowback at work too.)

What happened to Bill, and to dozens of other people whose experiences have been documented by disease advocates and on social media, is perfectly legal. Gaps in the United States’ genetic-nondiscrimination law mean that life, long-term-care, and disability insurers can obligate their customers to disclose genetic risk factors for disease and deny them coverage (or hike prices)

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: als; discrimination; genealogy; genetictesting; helixmakemineadouble; lougehrigsdisease; paranoia

1 posted on 11/14/2024 8:08:46 AM PST by bitt
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To: null and void; aragorn; EnigmaticAnomaly; kalee; Kale; AZ .44 MAG; Baynative; bgill; bitt; ...

P


2 posted on 11/14/2024 8:09:00 AM PST by bitt (<img src=' 'width=30%>)
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To: bitt

Bill’s mistake is not getting the insurance in place before testing.


3 posted on 11/14/2024 8:11:07 AM PST by Maskot (Put every dem/lib in prison........like yesterday!!! )
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To: bitt

Keep your pie hole shut when talking to insurance agents.

They’re not your friends.


4 posted on 11/14/2024 8:13:00 AM PST by Alas Babylon! (Repeal the Patriot Act; Abolish the DHS; reform FBI top to bottom!)
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To: bitt

It is time for insurance companies in their present form to be destroyed. With Extreme Prejudice.


5 posted on 11/14/2024 8:20:03 AM PST by Frank Drebin (And don't ever let me catch you guys in America!)
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To: bitt

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/insurance.asp

Many insurance policy types are available, and virtually any individual or business can find an insurance company willing to insure them—for a price.
......
There are also insurance policies available for very specific needs. Such coverage includes business closures due to civil authority, kidnap, ransom, and extortion (K&R) insurance, identity theft insurance, and wedding liability and cancellation insurance.


Sometimes you have to get back to the basics. Insurance has evolved from risk management to guaranteed payments in many eyes.

We used to have things like LOCAL MUTUAL Insurance companies. These were gobbled up by large regional and national insurance companies.

I have often wondered what the history of local mutual insurance companies was and maybe we can recreate it.


6 posted on 11/14/2024 8:24:37 AM PST by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
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To: bitt

LONG-TERM CARE AGREEMENT

Pedro & Maria do agree to provide appropriate in-home care for Bill, now suffering from a dread disease.

For each day they do so, they shall be entitled to live in Bill’s home for three days longer than each such day after Bill is no longer able to live in his home even with home care.

If Bill is no longer living in his house, Pedro & Maria shall timely pay all community charges levied on the property plus maintain full homeowners insurance coverage on it.

Pedro & Maria shall properly maintain the home for all such days, using Bill’s funds as strictly needed as determined and provided by Bill’s financial trustee to do so while he is resident, or their own funds if Bill is not resident.


7 posted on 11/14/2024 8:46:40 AM PST by Brian Griffin
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To: Maskot

For now it’s the insurance companies. Before too long people who want to have babies will have to ask permission from the eugenicists.


8 posted on 11/14/2024 8:50:26 AM PST by Tell It Right (1 Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: bitt

‘Gattaca’ is a very good film dealing with genetic discrimination. Well worth streaming.


9 posted on 11/14/2024 9:07:48 AM PST by Roadrunner383
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To: bitt

Pre-paid vendable care days are now available from Big Insurer.

Our skilled investing expertise allows you to save money on care many people are likely to need, and if you don’t wind up needing the care by the time you die, your estate can sell it on.

Over 90% of the dividends of the investments are compounded to the benefit payouts and our web-based sales and transfer charges are modest.

Our affiliated companies run care homes efficiently and at capacity, so benefit payouts should generally cover almost all typical care costs if you need to use your benefits, excluding a daily co-pay of $60/day (~Social Security benefit level) that will never increase.


10 posted on 11/14/2024 9:09:33 AM PST by Brian Griffin
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To: bitt

American leftists will focus DNA discrimination on their favorite statist project, health care - but we all know this is coming to abortion and eugenics

And we see once again Christians and the Catholic Church are once again proven correct on abortion

Before it was economics, social status, even race - all used to justify abortion and eugenics. Soon it will be potential “flaws” in one’s DNA

As Mother Theresa said (I paraphrase) - if a baby is not safe in its womb, then none of us are ever safe. We all will live on the knife’s edge


11 posted on 11/14/2024 9:25:45 AM PST by PGR88
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To: bitt

HOSPITAL PRE-PAID CARE

We at Octopus Hospital System now offer pre-paid care packages starting at the $20,000 Medicare benefit level. We charge a 10% issue fee and 2% redemption co-pay fee so we can make a modest profit on the package. After two years, the benefit amount increases by 3% a year provided the balance on your package exceeds $10,000.


12 posted on 11/14/2024 9:31:38 AM PST by Brian Griffin
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To: bitt

I hate insurance just like I hate gambling! But with insurance you only win if you lose.

Job 1:21
And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord


13 posted on 11/14/2024 1:53:56 PM PST by Theophilus (covfefe)
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To: Roadrunner383

That is a great movie!


14 posted on 11/14/2024 1:54:49 PM PST by Theophilus (covfefe)
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