Reply to HR 1313 -- Emloyees will need to choose: disclose genetic information or pay higher premiums

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'm trying to understand the rationale for this.  Expanding wellness programs, and including a stick to make "voluntary" disclosure more likely, seems to be the motivation.  But then the part about removing GINA privacy protections from information received through these wellness programs seems to be based on an intent to monetize people's private genetic and health information for the benefit of health care companies.

[b]It seems like someone had an idea, wrote it down, and didn't think more than a half-second about the potential results or problems with any of it.[/b][/quote]

If you haven't noticed yet, this is the Republican approach to policymaking.  They're trying to protect insurance companies from having to cover everyone by looking for ways to cull the rolls.

As some callous person pointed out upthread, it's one way to lower costs - people with predisposition for needing costly medical care can be forced to pay more. They put it on employers, but it's a fundamental question about the role of government: If they have to provide health care, should they also require people to get healthy.

Japan took a shot at this a few years ago. Everyone gets health care but, to control costs, there's a penalty to being unhealthy.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/world/asia/13fat.html[/quote]

Don't be so quick to blame the Republicans. For the genetic part yes, but one of the articles another PP linked to pointed out that the concept of these "voluntary" plans -- which come with a huge penalty if you don't "voluntarily" take part -- were approved in the ACA. The article noted that under the ACA employers who use these plans could even ask about your plans to have kids and if you didn't answer, you could be penalized by paying higher penalties. What a gross invasion of privacy. The genetics part is even worse but if the article is correct, the concept originated with the Democrats.[/quote]

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