|
medpundit |
||
 |
 |
|
Friday, September 26, 2003"It is bad that only a few can afford to ask that question,'' he said, ``while the poor will increasingly bear the burden of raising Down's children.'' McGee calls this ``credit-card eugenics'' -- allowing the rich to upgrade their hereditary lineage, while the poor are left with higher rates of disabilities and disease. PGD testing costs about $3,000, on top of the $10,000 price tag for in-vitro fertilization. Usually neither procedure is covered by insurance. ``In other words,'' McGee said, ``it makes income and money a genetic condition even if there is no gene for being rich or poor.'' UPDATE: A reader observes: Another ethicist said a memory-enhancing drug should be suppressed because the rich would have better memories than the poor. Both statements are silly and are ignorant of the economics of inventions. First Phase: When inventions are introduced they are very expensive and only the rich can afford it. These early adopters pay for the R & D costs and also take on the risk of harm from a new technology. Second Phase: Once the R & D costs have been recovered and the product is improved the price drops to where the middle class can afford it. Volume builds and the price continues to drop. Once the volume has reached a high enough level the processes are automated and the price becomes low enough so that the poor can afford it. Two recent inventions come to mind: DVD players when introduced 6 years ago cost $1200. Now they cost $129. Lasik eye surgery cost $3000 an eye when first introduced. Now the price is $800 an eye. Lasik surgery is in the Second Phase of the product cycle and the price should continue to drop. “Punish the Rich Schemes” always punish the poor instead and these ethicists should know better. posted by Sydney on 9/26/2003 08:27:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
|
