World of Politics

[x_maker]

For anyone who's been watching the news: that resolution about mandatory exclusion of genetic status on health insurance forms should be going to Congress in about a month for the standard hatchet job before getting passed or tanked. HeliX has a letter-writing campaign set up in support of the bill - if anyone wants to get involved and needs to know the addresses of their individual senators and representatives, there's a list up in my office by state and district.

This bill's a good thing, especially for those of us who do work outside the school and might need to use a medical facility that's NOT located in the basement here. What it means is that insurance companies can't deny coverage to mutants. It's the first step towards adding mutants to existing anti-discrimination laws, and when it passes, we'll be one step closer to things being how they should be.

To that end, there's a senator who'll be doing speaking engagements in Salem Center later this week. Graydon Creed, who most folks are making noises about running for President in '08. Granted, he got elected back in the early 80s on an Independent platform, which is usually the kiss of death for presidential bids, but he's also the longest-serving senator not affiliated with any political party. He opposed the Mutant Registration Act back in '03 when it went to Congress, and as one of the senior senators, his vote on the insurance bill could be a pivotal one. To this end, I've managed to arrange for a HeliX presence at one of his engagements this Friday. Anyone who wants to come hear the Senator speak is welcome - if you ask nicely, I'm sure those of you in Mr. Dayspring and Mr. Guthrie's classes can finagle some extra credit out of the deal.

Comments

[x-cannonball.livejournal.com]

Funny you should mention my class.

I do happen to have an essay prompt just waiting for my class today, since we're covering the structure of the US government. The senator might make a good essay topic. Or the presidential election process, or how a bill becomes law...

So not so much extra credit as credit, really. :)

[x-wildchild.livejournal.com]

This is revenge for the comment about your love of essays isn't it?

[x-rictor.livejournal.com]

...damn

[x-wallflower-.livejournal.com]

I'd like to come. Pity we don't have a school newspaper or I could use that as an excuse. By the way, why don't we have a school newspaper?

[x-roulette.livejournal.com]

I dunno, probably because most of the school news would consist of "so-and-so's gone evil/crazy/kidnapped" "rogue demon attacks" and "Eliane sneezed and set the bushes on fire again"?

I'm sure we would get an award for the most creative storytelling...

[x-polarisstar.livejournal.com]

No one has ever asked to start one.

Would you like to?

[x-penance.livejournal.com]

Angel is being taking pictures for the school year-book. Please, what is being the difference between the year-book and the school paper?

[x-polarisstar.livejournal.com]

A yearbook is a book that sums up a single school year. It has pictures of all the classes, little fun facts about the year that was, in-jokes and lots of pictures. It's supposed to be something that you keep for years so that you can look back on it and laugh at all the good times that were had and remember the people that you used to know.

A school paper is just like a regular newspaper but it's produced by and for the school that it's at. The students usually write the articles and editorial, sometimes even draw comic strips and such.

[x-penance.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Miss Lorna. I am understanding now.

[x-polarisstar.livejournal.com]

My pleasure, Yvette.

I have some of my yearbooks from when I was in high school if you'd like to see them. They're not usually very interesting to people who didn't go to the school though. Sort of like looking at pictures of other people's summer vacations.

[x-wallflower-.livejournal.com]

I might, although Jennie has a point about the sorts of things that'd go in it. Hmmss...*goes to make a post in her journal* Let me see what kind of interest there is first.

[x-siryn.livejournal.com]

I've heard of him before. One of the few politicians who doesn't remind me how glad I am to just be a resident alien in this country. What time is his speech? I'm still trying to figure out my class schedule this semester.

[x-emplate.livejournal.com]

While I cannot say I particularly enjoy the concept my genetic status being made available even to the lowliest mail clerk I now confess to some ambiguity on these matters. Certainly discrimination of any sort is deplorable. I am also, if not the last to tout total violation of personal medical disclosures, than certainly near the back of the queue. However, I find myself at something of an impasse as while yours was a genetic status exposed in the course of treatment for unrelated matters, before coming to Xavier's local discretion against screening of that particular sort nearly put me in the ground.

Happily this is one of those hard decisions of Life and Ethics directly upon my shoulders at this very moment, as I have doubts mine is a voice the American electoral process deems relevant.

[x-forge.livejournal.com]

No, see, there's a difference between a hospital testing for the x-gene as part of treatment (which is often medically necessary), and the requirement to state it on insurance applications. As it currently stands, health insurance companies can legally say "No, you're a mutant, we won't insure you." Or even just deny you insurance without explanation because you didn't fill in the "I do not possess the x-gene" bubble on your forms.

If this bill passes, they won't be allowed to ask, which means they can't discriminate on information they don't have.

[x-emplate.livejournal.com]

Oh, I understand the difference in question well enough. The wanderings of my disordered mind are more along those lines of, as you said, precedent created. Or perhaps the political climate in general; the limits of necessary disclosure, when comes the point personal privacy fosters dangerous ignorance, etc and so forth.

For shame, Forge. How long have we known one another? You know I have no time for these "specifics" of which you speak.

[x-roulette.livejournal.com]

It's a sign of how tired I am when it took me three tries to decipher that fully.

Your case was something to do with Australia's medical proceedures with testing for the X-Gene. I'm not sure if they can't test you without probable cause or if it's S.O.P. here. I can see the necessity being in that the patient could have a condition directly tied to his mutation or it being a privacy issue since a hospital might turn away a patient.

Because there's the thing, your insurance might agree to cover you, but it's still up in the air as to whether your local doctor will choose to treat you.

[x-forge.livejournal.com]

As far as I know, it's standard testing for trauma victims who need blood transfusions. That's how I got discovered.

[x-roulette.livejournal.com]

I'd never been to the doctor's as an "out" mutant before I came here. No, my forray into thinly veiled racisim came when the Federal Beareau of Investigations ran out of places to put me.

[x-forge.livejournal.com]

Speaking of which, if they put you somewhere as part of a Witness Security program, aren't you supposed to be a witness at some point?

[x-roulette.livejournal.com]

It's not so much witness security as "find a safe place for the homeless mutant teen who also happens to know a lot about our case." It's why I still go by my name and can travel, etc... I get checked up on every so often and they give me details and I give details. It's fun and a pain in the ass.

As to the trial, American Justice is a slow-moving beast. Especially if a lot of money is thrown at it.

[x-emplate.livejournal.com]

It's a sign of how tired I am when it took me three tries to decipher that fully.

Or perhaps my thoughts are merely so lofty those around me must use some artificial means of augmentation to perceive them?

Yes, yes, it is more likely the former.


Your case was something to do with Australia's medical proceedures with testing for the X-Gene. I'm not sure if they can't test you without probable cause or if it's S.O.P. here. I can see the necessity being in that the patient could have a condition directly tied to his mutation or it being a privacy issue since a hospital might turn away a patient.

Therein lies the difficulty, for while Australia is far from the seething cauldron of litigious action of these noble States some few administrators deemed it expedient to avoid potential issue altogether and simply not test without obvious need. Thus, in the absence of the normal indicators such as gills or unusual flammability, no test. While it was not actual national policy that saw me bollocksed until the timely development of the bitey bits this is a topic which evokes Thought on such subjects as something akin to a tasteful medic alert bracelet.

Although it would be unfortunate if genetic status resulted in the sanctioned equivalent of those clever notes my mother thought it necessary to pin to my clothing.

[x-roulette.livejournal.com]

Or perhaps my thoughts are merely so lofty those around me must use some artificial means of augmentation to perceive them?

I'm rusty on my Mariusese today. It's being pushed out by the French.

Although it would be unfortunate if genetic status resulted in the sanctioned equivalent of those clever notes my mother thought it necessary to pin to my clothing.

This is one of those isntances that almost had you remanded to the custody of child protective services, isn't it?

Honestly I'd be okay with the screening if it came coupled with a clause where a hospital can't turn away a patient due to being X-Gene positive, like they can't turn somebody away for having AIDS or something.

[x-dominion.livejournal.com]

American hospitals can refuse treatment due to AIDS or HepB? Didn't know that one.

Socialized medicine for the win.

[x-roulette.livejournal.com]

No, they can't. They can and do however deny aid to those with the X-gene.

[x-dominion.livejournal.com]

Canada's been testing now since, hmm, 2000 or so? Required by law.

[x-ccelerate.livejournal.com]

Hm. I'm going to make a note to keep more than my usual weather eye on the political news this week, I think; this could turn very interesting rather quickly.

Still, I suppose it's a good thing if mutants are allowed to get bogged down in the claims process like everyone else, rather than simply have the door shut in our faces. One almost has to admire the American health care industry; it's the single most effective blackmail racket I've ever seen.

Hee.

[x-firestar.livejournal.com]

Good timing on the posting, oh genius one. :D I just got back from dinner with my dad and it turns out he's going to be the thing on Friday to take pictures. So I'll be there.

My mom's gotta be turning cartwheels over this.