Mike Lorrey wrote:
> This is EXACTLY like the issue of genetic screening by health insurers.
> Does an insurer have the right to be biased against you in charging you
> more for health insurace just because you have a genetic predisposition
> toward certain ailments? In my opinion, they don't.
Mike this issue is even more difficult than the other racism topics we
have already discussed. Inusrance companies are businesses and
businesses are in business to make money. So who has the authority
to tell an insurance company who they must insure? Who can dictate
what they can charge?
This came up during the previous election, so if anyone has the facts,
do feel free to straighten me out. Im not sure how much of the following
is true and how much is the traditional election year BS. It was pointed
out that the governor of Texas presided over the state with the highest
proportion of medically uninsured in the nation (true?). The governor
did not dispute the observation, however, it is well known that a huge
problem for Native Americans is a terrible predisposition to diabetes.
After all, for many generations they ate the kinds of foods that could
be hunted or trapped in the American west. Now, suddenly, they find
themselves in our modern toxic-food environment: high calorie, high fat,
high sugar, freely available alcohol, etc. The Native Americans have
a high rate of diabetes. The statistics charts show it, and the delta is
huge.
Insurance companies know that one diabetic costs them more money
than a typical cancer patient. Consequently, in areas where there are
a lot of Native American and Hispanic, the insurance companies get
scarce = lower competition = higher prices. Texas has a lot of Hispanic,
as does Taxifornia.
Nowthen, those on the list who have the wisdom of Solomon, how
do we fairly and justly tell a health insurance company how to do business?
Since they already know that the cost and risk of insuring a person with the
name of Jesus Hernandez is in general higher than insuring one with
the name Michael Lorrey, and in fact there is a high statistical
correllation of diabetic-susceptibility with zip code, what is the
answer please? spike
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