They Thought Hemophilia Was a ‘Lifelong Thing.’ They May Be Wrong.

@Mike It IS the most important thing and why the most important thing that America can do is to ensure all its citizens are all able to get full Medical care and treatment for whatever ails them. For the people, ALL of the people who should come first and foremost always before Profit, Affordability or Social standing. The Constitution promises to all Americans the right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness and that is exactly what a cure, surgery, treatment and solution gives back and provides anybody who is sick afflicted, incapacitated or ill is provided once they are treated , healed or cured. Because they are really the most important things.

@Michael H. You're on a slippery moral slope there. We aborted a child 25 years ago who genetic testing indicated had the disease. So that happens. But it was our choice. Not yours. Not the system's. And I wouldn't impose my choice on anyone else -- especially since I have close family who have hemophilia who have led long lives and made substantial contributions to society. We would all be diminished if everyone made the same choice we did. This is why universal coverage/single payer is so important. To spread the risk and financial burden across everyone so that no individual is bankrupted and everyone can claim healthcare as a human right.

@Michael H. It's not entirely preventable, hemophilia can occur through spontaneous mutation and despite the cost, people live normal lives with hemophilia. It is not okay to ask the question that you are asking. You should be asking why pharma companies are charging so much for this life-saving medication, not how to eliminate the disorder through curtailing procreation.

@Michael H. Health care is about priorities, not costs. Every other developed nation has figured out health care; sometimes it's better and sometimes worse, but none of those nations has chucked it so something is working. Do their health care systems have problems?...yes, just like our system. Do patients have to wait sometimes?...yes, amazingly. Do delays cause death?...sometimes, just like at the VA. So here I simply ask what you asked: "We don't have unlimited resources, it needs to be okay to ask the question." SO...why can America, which prides itself on being "pro-life", not have the health care that other countries have to keep people alive and healthy - wouldn't that truly reflect our choice of life over death? Why do we need to coddle the rich, who already have enough to live hundreds of lifetimes with ease? There is no societal benefit from allowing them to treat money as nothing more than a collectible. Must we have the ability to bomb the Earth 50,000 times?...surely a dozen big bombs will come close to doing the job...isn't the health of a country's citizens a factor in national security every bit as much as arsenals are? "Can we honestly afford this kind of care?" you ask. Yes, we can. We just choose to kick those who are down, and give more to those who don't need it. In America we worship Darwin and love money. That's a choice...not a matter of limited resources. To choose who is "worthy" and who is not is a choice. And it's wrong.