I did a quick search of the forums and couldn't find anything off hand, but has there been any serious discussion over how much the total of these individual therapies might cost? Of course we all realize that things will become more efficient/cheaper in the future, but there has to be a limit as to how cheap when you're talking something this complex. Say we do end up getting personalized DNA sequences for $2000. We still need stem cell banks, enzyme replacement therapy or gene therapy, surgery in some cases. Medical insurance probably won' t cover this, at least at first. Just curious because I wanted to do some societal impact analysis.
How much will it cost?
Started by
jmmathieu
, Feb 09 2006 11:34 PM
5 replies to this topic
#1
Posted 09 February 2006 - 11:34 PM
I did a quick search of the forums and couldn't find anything off hand, but has there been any serious discussion over how much the total of these individual therapies might cost? Of course we all realize that things will become more efficient/cheaper in the future, but there has to be a limit as to how cheap when you're talking something this complex. Say we do end up getting personalized DNA sequences for $2000. We still need stem cell banks, enzyme replacement therapy or gene therapy, surgery in some cases. Medical insurance probably won' t cover this, at least at first. Just curious because I wanted to do some societal impact analysis.
#2
Posted 10 February 2006 - 01:23 AM
Actually, medical insurance would want to cover it since with such treatments in place the possibility of acquiring disease becomes infitesimal so they would make even bigger profits..
#3
Posted 10 February 2006 - 02:02 AM
I agree, once such therapies will have been out for a while, society is going to take care of the cost in one way or another. But when they first come out, and you need them then, you definitely want to own the company that sells them ;-)
#4
Posted 11 February 2006 - 01:34 AM
But who would pay for medical insurance in a world where we all live forever? Sure there will be accidents but our skin will be made of kevlar and the nanobots will repair any damage as soon as it happens.
#5
Posted 12 February 2006 - 01:08 AM
Maestro, citizens of socialist countries like mine where insurance is obligatory [glasses]
#6
Posted 12 February 2006 - 07:36 AM
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