Question

The following ethical dilemma discussion is from Chapter Eleven of the accompanying text. The questions immediately following each ethical dilemma are guided questions for you to consider as you frame your thinking. Seek to develop your own positions where neither the law nor public opinion has reached an ethical consensus that conforms to accepted values. For every question, there are two or more valid positions that are consistent with universal values and principles.  What arguments can counter opponents of the Affordable Care Act, who ask why people infected with HIV should be provided access to government health insurance before they are symptomatic, or why HIV infections should not be considered a preexisting health condition that should not be covered by insurance for anyone who is uninsured when they discover they are HIV-positive?

1. What arguments can counter opponents of the Affordable Care Act, who ask why people infected with HIV should be provided access to government health insurance before they are symptomatic, or why HIV infections should not be considered a preexisting health condition that should not be covered by insurance for anyone who is uninsured when they discover they are HIV-positive?
2. While early identification and monitoring of HIV is integral to reasonable and necessary medical care, what ethical principles cloud determinations of coverage by the government and private sector health insurance industry?
3. Given the defined aspiration of the nation that everyone should have access to affordable health insurance, what ethical principles should determine whether essential ARVs and AIDS medications should be covered by health insurance?
4. Why is it fair to expect medically necessary care and coverage of reasonable treatment costs of a disease that generally arises from unprotected sexual encounters and intravenous drug use?

Answer 1

According to me , when we( government and healthcare professionals ) are working hard for creating a disease free country every individual should get the insurance facilities and health care services irrespective of they are symptomatic or not . Waiting for the disease to be at severe stage and providing services at that time is not rational . It just hinders the aspects of prevention methods. It would the violation of medical ethics called - beneficence and non-maleficence .

It is fair to expect medically necessary care and coverage of reasonable treatment costs of a disease that generally arises from unprotected sexual encounters and intravenous drug use because people are not aware of the adverse effects it has on thwir health . Its where we lack till now even having this much of prevention and health education . Some part is played by the healthcare services also by providing care to only people who have insurance and money to get the treatment because in that case the others who are infected gets discriminated and hence they spread it .