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I'm sure this would have terrible unintended consequences but I can't think of any at the moment. I'm sure insurance companies would like to get their hands on

I'm sure this would have terrible unintended consequences but I can't think of any at the moment. I'm sure insurance companies would like to get their hands on this information. I can see people with certain problematic genes being unable to get life insurance for example.

mandevil 7y ago
By US law (GINA, passed in 2008), health insurance companies and employers are barred from discriminating on the basis of genetic results. Life insurance companies are allowed to, as is housing and schooling, interestingly enough.
- cortesoft 7y ago
  It kinda makes sense that life insurance companies would be able to, or it would be really easy to abuse the system. You could do a genetic screening on yourself, and find out that you are very likely to die within x number of years... and then take out a TON of life insurance on yourself. Maybe not a huge risk, but does present a bit of an interesting problem.
alexpotato 7y ago
You would probably be interested in this then (which makes that illegal): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_Information_Nondiscrimination_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_Information_Nondiscrim... It was signed by George W. Bush(Republican) into law. I remember being surprised because I would have thought that health care companies would have made a some kind of "free market enterprise" argument that they should be able to use DNA data to make insurance more "efficient". It even passed in the house 416 - 16.
- cortesoft 7y ago
  This just highlights the inherent contradictions in wanting a 'free market health care system'. People say they want a free market health care system, but also they want 'fairness'..... and most people feel that being charged more for something outside of your control is 'not fair'. These two notions are at odds. The only way to solve this is by having a single payer, universal health care system.

mandevil 7y ago

By US law (GINA, passed in 2008), health insurance companies and employers are barred from discriminating on the basis of genetic results. Life insurance companies are allowed to, as is housing and schooling, interestingly enough.

cortesoft 7y ago
It kinda makes sense that life insurance companies would be able to, or it would be really easy to abuse the system. You could do a genetic screening on yourself, and find out that you are very likely to die within x number of years... and then take out a TON of life insurance on yourself. Maybe not a huge risk, but does present a bit of an interesting problem.

alexpotato 7y ago

You would probably be interested in this then (which makes that illegal): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_Information_Nondiscrimination_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_Information_Nondiscrim... It was signed by George W. Bush(Republican) into law. I remember being surprised because I would have thought that health care companies would have made a some kind of "free market enterprise" argument that they should be able to use DNA data to make insurance more "efficient". It even passed in the house 416 - 16.

cortesoft 7y ago
This just highlights the inherent contradictions in wanting a 'free market health care system'. People say they want a free market health care system, but also they want 'fairness'..... and most people feel that being charged more for something outside of your control is 'not fair'. These two notions are at odds. The only way to solve this is by having a single payer, universal health care system.