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06/23/01 04:26 PM: Ghetto White House Briefing
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of da Press Secretary
For Immediate Release June 23, 2001
RADIO ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT TO THE NATION
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Here in Washington, we be nearin’ some important decisions on da health of Americans. Congress gots to soon vote on a patients’ bill of rights, to help patients get da treatment they deserve without delay or legal haggling. Ah want that bill to be strong ‘n effective. A ho should be able to visit ha gynecologist, ‘n parents they children’s pediatrician, without goin’ through a gatekeeper. A person should be able to see a specialist when tha dude or tha byatch needs one, ‘n to get emergency treatment at da nearest emergency room. If an HMO denies da treatment yo’ ass need, then you should has da right to an immediate, impartial appeal to a panel of doctors. If da panel rules in yo’ favor, yo’ ass should receive yo’ treatment, period. If da HMO ignores the findings, yo’ ass should be able to go to court. Da system should not favor HMOs, ‘n dat shit should not favor trial lawyers. It should favor patients, wid quick action to make sure they get da treatment they need. Today Ah want to address anotha kind of protection dat be needed in these times of acceleratin’ medical progress. Just a few months ago, scientists completed the mappin’ of da human genome. With dis information comes enormous possibilities fo doin’ good. Through a better understandin’ of da genetic codes, scientists might one day be able to cure ‘n prevent countless diseases. As wid any otha power, however, this knowledge of da code of life has da potential to be abused. Employers could be tempted to deny a job based on a person’s genetic profile. Insurance companies might use that information to deny an application fo coverage, or charge excessive premiums. Genetic discrimination be unfair to workers and they families. It be unjustified—among other reasons, because dat shit involves little ‘mo than medical speculation. A genetic predisposition toward canca or heart disease does not mean da condition gots to develop. To deny employment or insurance to a healthy person based only on a predisposition violates our country’s belief in equal treatment and individual merit. In da past, otha forms of discrimination have been used to withhold rights ‘n opportunities dat belong to all Americans. Just as we has addressed discrimination based on race, genda ‘n age, we gots to now prevent discrimination based on genetic information. My administration be workin’ now to shape the legislation dat gots to make genetic discrimination illegal. I look forward to workin’ wid members of Congress to pass a law dat is fair, reasonable, ‘n consistent wid existin’ discrimination statutes. We gots to all gain much from da continuin’ advances in genetic science. But those advances should neva come at the cost of basic fairness ‘n equality unda law.Tank yo’ ass fo listening.
END
