Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Some chronic conditions can be very expensive to treat. The lifetime cost of treating a person with beta-thalassemia is several hundred thousand dollars. Should cost be a factor in deciding whether to pursue pre-implantation diagnosis? Should insurance companies be allowed to offer inducements to parents to pursue PGD if there is a family history or are they are seeking in vitro fertilization?
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I think insurance companies should be allowed to offer inducements to parents to pursue PGD if there is a family history or are they are seeking in vitro fertilization. This benefits the family by avoid future suffering if the child has a disease and reduces the financial struggle of parents who pay high medical bills for their children that might not be covered by insurance. Also the company benefits by decreasing the amount of money the company will need to cover people since less people will have diseases. I worry though that that the PGD would eventually become as common as finding the sex of a baby today, which might lead to people to be more acceptable of going further with PGD by determining such things as the sex of the baby.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I think it would be in the best interest of the insurance companies, and the future parents. Obviously, people should still have the right to apt out of encouraged PGD work but logically, it makes sense for insurance companies to encourage PGD. To know what even an embryo might have before it is implanted, could save thousands and thousands of dollars for both parties (insurance and family) It isn't truly all about the money though. PGD could reduce heartache as certain conditions and diseases are completely life threatening. PGD encouraged by insurance companies could allow for quicker treatments when the baby is born, or to make sure life could be sustained when the baby is out of the womb... If There is family history, why not, why risk it?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Gloria and Dr3wpDraw3rs on this topic that insurance companies should offer inducements to parents to pursue PGD if there is a family history or are they are seeking in vitro fertilization. This would reduce the stress of cost and paying hospital bills on parents but could also make PGD more popular among the population. I do however worry about the separation in social class then in those who can afford PGD's and those who would like to have one but could not. I know we should not be concerned with social class but it is obviously something that is a big part of our society.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with the above comments that insurance companies should offer inducements to parents for PGD. This can eventually save the family a lot of money and emotional attachements/stress. However, I also think doing this might cause the company to increase the requirements for the plan or simply not insure the child. For example, if an insurance company knew that the child had a serious disease that would cost a lot of money in the future, it would be in their best intersts NOT to insure him/her thus leaving the parents financially responsible.
ReplyDeleteTanya, I agree with your example about the insurance coverage. I think that if insurance companies offered inducements to parents to pursue PGD's they would get more publicity. Also if there is a family history the insurance company that covers the family the most finacially will keep that family down the line of generations. I do see how it would be in the best interest not to insure the family however most insurance companies want the most money and thus will take on larger family financial issues.
ReplyDeleteAs a society, we always strive to become better starting with ourselves. So one would think that insurance companies would cover the massive cost for these types of things.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, insurance companies are not charities, they are a business. They are going to try and make a profit and covering this type of treatment(s) is not the direction they want to go in financially.
About the family history part, from what I know I am almost positive that insurance companies cannot charge or change your policy because of family history or genetics. So that should not be a problem.
I belive Insurance companies would only look at this to there own benefit, for example they would bump up the prices for monthly insurance etc. I believe what a better idea would be, is to urge the goverment to take action on the situation becuase it can further inhace reaserch on the subjest PGD.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I agree with the above comments regarding encouragement towards insurance companies and PGD among family members with a history of beta-thalassemia, I think government action will maintain which sorts inducements the insurance companies can offer(to prevent scams). As Rahil had said, Insurance companies would take any business with their companies to their advantage because that is their way of earning money. In order to really help the family members to get what they need through the whole process, government should research PGD so that all actions carried out will be ethical on both parties.
ReplyDeleteIn agreement with insurance companies providing insurance regarding PGD, I also agree with Christine that the insurance companies would love any sorts of money that they would receive for providing insurance. I also think there could be an ethical problem here but there always will be one.
ReplyDeleteIt's true, there will always be an unethical dilemma when it comes to issues such as these because when the issue of life and survival is put at stake, some individuals will go to an extreme to help their beloved ones and others (insurance companies) might take that as an opportunity to turn table around. You can never trust society so this a difficult decision to make amongst those who are going through the issue.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me like this is a way for insurance companies to place a value on human life. Is someone "worth less" because they're born with a chronic condition that costs thousands of dollars to treat instead of getting one later in their life like cancer? I completely agree with what Kerri said about separation in social classes, and I think that if we let insurance companies take advantage of that then end result will be disastrous.
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