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Wednesday, March 19, 2003
Minnesota Committee Votes Tomorrow On Creating Inventory Of "Less Than Perfect" Children
St. Paul, Minnesota - Every newborn child in Minnesota will be
required to submit to medical testing for congenital disorders and
defects -- unless parents make an objection in writing that is based
on a conflict with religious tenets and practice. No other objections
are allowed.
The Minnesota House Health and Human Services Policy Committee will
vote tomorrow on the HHS budget bill, which includes the requirement
for medical testing of children, and the requirement that a state
birth defects registry be created.
"Minnesota is proposing a statewide inventory of the 'less than
perfect'. No government should be allowed to create databases on its
citizens, least of all on citizens who happen to be born with less
than perfect physical health," says Twila Brase, president of the St.
Paul-based Citizens' Council on Health Care.
Brase notes that a similar initiative in 1997 was defeated when
parent and patient consent for placement on the registry was amended
to the bill. Health officials got legislators in the HHS omnibus bill
conference committee to strip out all the language to prevent
enactment of the consent requirements.
"This is no better idea now than it was in 1997 when it was defeated.
Citizens should not be required to submit to medical testing without
patient or parent consent. The potential for discrimination and
unconsented medical research on the less fortunate is enormous."
The legislation, which has been introduced as part of the omnibus HHS
bill [HF 904(Bradley)/SF821(Kiscaden)], will also allow the
commissioner of health to periodically revise the list of tests to be
administered--without public notice or comment. Such revisions will
have the force and effect of law.
"This legislation seeks to provide the state of Minnesota with
unprecedented authority to submit its citizens to medical testing.
The list of congenital defects can be expanded ad infinitum. Even
genetic testing is not out of the question."
"Citizens need to understand. This is not newborn screening, this is
defect testing," added Brase.
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CCHC is an independent non-profit free-market health care policy organization located in St. Paul, Minnesota
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