NationStates Jolt Archive

Self-Inflicted Ailments Act
A resolution to reduce income inequality and increase basic welfare.

Category: Social Justice
Strength: Significant
Proposed by: Schnauz

Description: The United Nations,
OBSERVING that many governments pay for nation-wide health care for all cases,

RECOGNIZING that these programs are costly and divert funds from worthier measures such as aid for the poor and funding for police to lower crime, which are two areas where much disease stems from in the first place,

FURTHER RECOGNIZING that many patients who obtain treatment in government hospitals are victims of self-inflicted infirmities, such as smoking to cause lung cancer,

REALIZING that it is likely that if patients with these types of problems had to pay for their own treatment, they would have much more incentive to avoid self-destructive behavior,

1.MANDATES that all nations with government-funded blanket health care programs that fund all cases change their policy so that patients with ailments that have been inflicted on themselves by a free choice of their own must pay for at least 75% of the treatment they receive for that ailment;

2.DECIDES that self-inflicted ailments include, preliminarily, lung cancer caused by smoking, damage on muscle and/or bone structure by purposefully and willingly striking body parts against hard objects, etc., and obesity caused purely by prolonged overconsumption, and not by genetics;

3.CREATES the International Medical Committee on Self-Inflicted Ailments (IMCSIA), which will include one prominent medical specialist from any UN member nation that wants to join, will meet within a period not exceeding two months from the date of this resolution and will file a report on what constitutes a self-inflicted ailment on a date not exceeding six months from the date of this resolution;

4.ACCEPTS that in extreme circumstances, patients affected by this resolution may bring their cases before appropriate courts of law;

4.DECLARES that the IMCSIA report shall become international law to be applied to all such cases.

I was wondoring what everyone thinks of this proposal. What can be improved? Who agrees? Are there any flaws? etc

Self-Inflicted Ailments Act
Strength: Significant
Wow. Um... no.

Description: The United Nations,
OBSERVING that many governments pay for nation-wide health care for all cases,
Yay, let's start things off with a contextless, ambiguous term. "Many?" How many? Enough that this is a significant (in accordance with your proposed category strength)?
RECOGNIZING that these programs are costly and divert funds from worthier measures such as aid for the poor and funding for police to lower crime, which are two areas where much disease stems from in the first place,
Who are you to say what measures are worthier than others? Some nations may find it more important to keep their productive citizenry healthy rather than aid those who aren't contributing to the economy.

Also, please provide some examples of how crime is a significant contributor to disease.
FURTHER RECOGNIZING that many patients who obtain treatment in government hospitals are victims of self-inflicted infirmities, such as smoking to cause lung cancer,
In many nations, citizens are unaware that smoking causes lung cancer. Why should they be held responsible for consequences of an action to which they haven't given informed consent?
REALIZING that it is likely that if patients with these types of problems had to pay for their own treatment, they would have much more incentive to avoid self-destructive behavior,
In SJB, people who intentionally harm themselves without rationale are categorized as mentally ill, and are not required to bear the brunt of their healthcare costs. We'd like to keep it that way, thank you.
1.MANDATES that all nations with government-funded blanket health care programs that fund all cases change their policy so that patients with ailments that have been inflicted on themselves by a free choice of their own must pay for at least 75% of the treatment they receive for that ailment;
Whoa. If you have an answer to that philosophical question (what is free will), please let us know.
2.DECIDES that self-inflicted ailments include, preliminarily, lung cancer caused by smoking, damage on muscle and/or bone structure by purposefully and willingly striking body parts against hard objects, etc., and obesity caused purely by prolonged overconsumption, and not by genetics;
So when you invade my home and I break my knuckle against the side of your head to protect my family, I should have to cover those costs?
3.CREATES the International Medical Committee on Self-Inflicted Ailments (IMCSIA), which will include one prominent medical specialist from any UN member nation that wants to join, will meet within a period not exceeding two months from the date of this resolution and will file a report on what constitutes a self-inflicted ailment on a date not exceeding six months from the date of this resolution;
And what if that report is contradictory to the definition you give above?
4.ACCEPTS that in extreme circumstances, patients affected by this resolution may bring their cases before appropriate courts of law;
"Extreme," "appropriate;" all we see is "blah blah blah more ambiguity."
4.DECLARES that the IMCSIA report shall become international law to be applied to all such cases.
Pre-emptive legislation without any sort of UN oversight, anyone?
I was wondoring what everyone thinks of this proposal. What can be improved? Who agrees? Are there any flaws? etc
As we're opposed to the fundamental principles behind this proposal, as well as most of the claims included in the text, we have no constructive criticism at this time.

Hmm, lets see what else can be added to this because it fits the term "self inflicted".

Anyone injured in a plane, train, car, truck or other moterised vehicle accident or crash. After all, it was their decision to to ride in the thing, so their own fault. Pregnacy, getting and/or staying that way is a choice. Anyone who has a problem even remotly linked to drinking alcohol, and who has ever had a drink, again, choice. Skiers who break bones, they didn't have to strap the things on. Any form of sexually tranmitted disease, no-one has to have sex. The list goes on and on. Where does it stop?

If you are willing to water this down to urges and encourages, I won't be so against it, but as written this is a very intrusive proposal on a subject that isn't an international or human rights issue, and that destroys the health systems of those nations that choose to have universal health care.

In my nation we don't, and won't, punish people for getting sick/injured. In most cases these measures won't stop destructive behavior, they will just ensure some of those affected will die without seeking and/or recieving treatment because they can't afford it.

My advice is to take out the mandatory clauses and replace them with milder urges/encourages clauses instead. If you do that, the committee won't be necessary either, unless you want to leave it in as an advisory body to disseminate information to those nations that ask for it.

1.MANDATES that all nations with government-funded blanket health care programs that fund all cases change their policy so that patients with ailments that have been inflicted on themselves by a free choice of their own must pay for at least 75% of the treatment they receive for that ailment;

The Altanari delegation doesn't see the justification for such an arbitrary limit. We also don't like the idea behind telling other nations what health care they should or should not fund.

2.DECIDES that self-inflicted ailments include, preliminarily, lung cancer caused by smoking, damage on muscle and/or bone structure by purposefully and willingly striking body parts against hard objects, etc., and obesity caused purely by prolonged overconsumption, and not by genetics;

Again a fairly arbitrary set of definitions.

3.CREATES the International Medical Committee on Self-Inflicted Ailments (IMCSIA), which will include one prominent medical specialist from any UN member nation that wants to join, will meet within a period not exceeding two months from the date of this resolution and will file a report on what constitutes a self-inflicted ailment on a date not exceeding six months from the date of this resolution;

We don't need an entire committee to arbitrarily decide issues of national health care for each member state.

4.ACCEPTS that in extreme circumstances, patients affected by this resolution may bring their cases before appropriate courts of law;

We also don't need a wave of legislation caused by dictating to people what their healthcare shall be. Besides that, which courts will be deemed "appropriate"? And what circumstances will be deemed "extreme"? If someone's circumstances are deemed not to be "extreme", are they to be left with no redress?

There isn't a single thing we find acceptable about this proposal.

--
Jinella Agaranth
Deputy Ambassador, Kingdom of Altanar

No...must....stop....got to choke myself.....

There isn't a single thing we find acceptable about this proposal.

Ditto.

This "proposal" is nothing more than an extension of someone's anti-smoking crusade. Fuck that, man.

Love, luck and lollipops,
Sheik Larebil bin Cluich
Cluichstani Ambassador to the UN

Smoking causing cancer? Don't make me laugh. In Cobdenia it is well known that tobacco is good for the mind, prevents sore throats, prevents obesity, and makes a good presents for all the family from Ronald Reagan

Isn't there a contradiction of the 'Patients Rights Act' involved?

My employers have asked me to inform you that they will be very displeased if this, or any other, proposal is passed that would have a negative impact upon their cigarette distribution businesses. People have the right to destroy their health and others have the right to turn a profit off of it.

Paulie "The Rat" Carbone - Consigliere