Yet another reason for Universal Health care

[supernova]

this afternoon. It's quite beside all the howling about access to and quality of care.

All that genetic testing.

Think about it. In the future, probably very soon, you will be able to take a blood test and see all of the diseases/conditions that you are prey to without your MD monitoring and lifestyle changes to counteract your genetic tendencies. That certainly will be useful information to know to know how to take care of yourself.

Well then, who is in charge of that information? Whom do you want to be in charge of keeping that information? Humana? AEtna? Blue Cross & Blue Shield. How do you know they won't share that information with third parties? Does your employer need to know that you have the chromosome for Downs? And that if you get pregnant you're likely to have a Downs child, who will need a lifetime of care?

I'm not picking on Downs folks. Love 'em very much. It's just one example that came to me. You could easily substitute Cystic Fibrosis or Sickle Cell Anemia (all currently very expensive illnesses lasting decades. All have a genetic component.

Wouldn't you rather it was in a government db similar to the tax database at the IRS or maybe Social Security?

What do you think? Do you think I'm off base?

[Yael]

1. Share or sell?

Can you imagine the DBMS that will be required to manage this for the government? HUGE. I hope they use a *Nix platform.

:)

[ret5hd]

2. Nah...windoze...and access db (hey, its good enough for our votes)

[redphish]

3. Wow, I never considered that.

I really wouldn't want insurance companies OR the government to have that much data on me.

:scared:

[Yael]

4. And there we have the RW fear factor :)

Right now, we have the right to sue insurance companies -- and with HIPAA, they have extreme security in place, BUT, it is fragmented. Your information is split amongst the various companies that have carried you on a plan.

This is exactly what the RW is using to scare the masses -- the fact that the data will reside in one place and with civil servants able to access it. They are the ones making it sound like it will be a clone of the DMV and have my own mother losing sleep at night.

Thing is, Medicare is ALREADY in a single system. This would just expand Medicare to the entire nation.

[supernova]

5. Yes, Medicare and SS

were really the models I was thinking of. I don't know what that setup is now, but I know they don't sell that information to other companies. And they don't try to deny you care or options based on what is there, either (AFAIK.) If the situation is different from that, I hope someone posts in this thread.

[redphish]

6. Yeah, I know that.

Even if it is split up, anyone can find out ever thing about you if they dig hard enough. Information privacy is an illusion but I just think it sucks.

Welcome to DU.

:hi:

[supernova]

7. The setup possibilities are endless

These could be regional dbs or maybe by conditions. :shrug:

My point is it doesn't have to be one HUGE all-encompassing db.

[Yael]

9. Well, HIPAA is already in place

the system that guarantees privacy and portability -- so whatever they do, security will have to be at an all time premium. I am sure that user security will be addressed -- as well as segmented databases with failover and cross reporting (as opposed to one big database). I was just kidding about that piece. From an IT perspective, that would be a recipe for disaster for a mid-size company, much less records for 300mm peeps.

:)

[Yael]

8. Thanks! Happy to be here. n/t