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On Wed, Oct 18, 2000 at 06:57:24PM -0700, Tim May wrote:
> At 5:48 PM -0700 10/18/00, Nathan Saper wrote:
> >
> >On Wed, Oct 18, 2000 at 09:10:27AM -0700, David Honig wrote:
> >
> > > Discrimination in the good sense, like discriminating dangerous vs.
> > > safe. What do you think insurance companies *should* do, if not
> >make various
> >> discriminations about risk? Are you against car insurers asking
> >> about your other genetic characteristics (e.g., sex)?
> >>
> >
> >No, because they do not deny coverage based upon gender. They can
> >(and, in many cases, do) deny coverage based on larger-than-average
> >chances of contracting heart disease, for example.
>
> Insurance rates are established according to many criteria. In many
> cases, higher-risk customers are sold insurance, but at higher rates.
> In some cases, they are denied insurance. (As when the costs are
> open-ended...)
>
> In any case, whether Alice sells insurance to Bob is not a matter for
> the state to interfere with.
>
> You, Nathan, may set up your own insurance company if you wish. Or
> you may offer to pay for the health care of those you think are not
> getting a fair deal.
>
> But you may NOT tell me I must sell insurance if I choose not to.
>
>
>
Most insurance companies are worth millions, if not billions, of
dollars, and they make huge profits. Insuring all of the people that
they now deny based on genetic abnormalities would still allow them to
make decent profits.
Also, people cannot simply create insurance companies. Breaking into
the healthcare business is damn near impossible, unless you have
established relationships inside the industry.
And many people are denied coverage outright, therefore removing the
possibility of simply paying for their coverage.
- --
Nathan Saper ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) | http://www.well.com/user/natedog/
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