Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1985. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Miami Herald - Sunday, June 30, 1985
Michael E. Young, Herald Staff Writer
That decision, made last week by City Manager Jim Chandler, was a wise one.
But the idea behind the testing procedure -- to protect the city and its taxpayers from expensive medical bills -- is a wise one as well and shouldn't be dismissed without more study.
Gay rights groups were quick to criticize Hollywood's plans, which would have included the test for antibodies linked to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome with a battery of others performed on job applicants.
They argued that Hollywood could use the tests to refuse to hire people who tested positively for HTLV-III antibodies, which indicate exposure to the AIDS virus, even though only about 10 percent of the people with those antibodies will get AIDS.
The groups also pointed out that the tests could cause unnecessary trauma for applicants who tested positively for the antibodies, but don't have the disease.
Those arguments are valid and fair, as was Chandler's response.
But questions about the reliability of the test that Hollywood planned to use doesn't lessen the need for conclusive tests for AIDS and other major diseases.
Treating AIDS, a disease that breaks down the body's immune system, is terribly expensive. An illness as minor as the common cold can be fatal.
Hollywood officials believe a test that would identify AIDS victims before they're hired would keep the city's insurance premiums low and help protect other workers from the disease.
Large companies perform health tests on job applicants to ensure that the worker will be physically able to do the job.
Insurance companies always ask about your health when you take out a policy. They're not about to insure you if it's clear they'll be paying out money with no chance of making a profit.
No one argues that companies shouldn't be able to protect themselves. It's smart business. The same should hold true for municipalities.
If tests show conclusively that an applicant has AIDS, it would be stupid for an employer to hire him, knowing that he'll be absent far more often than the average employee and that his health insurance claims could be staggering.
But if a current employee contracts AIDS or any other debilitating disease, the employer, whether a private company or the city of Hollywood, should pay for his medical care. It would be unconscionable to do anything else.
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Copyright © 1985 - Miami Herald. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Miami Herald, Permissions, One Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132-1693 TEL: (305) 376-3719. http://www.herald.com.
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