Sunday, February 24, 2008
GATTACA
This is the creepiest thing I've read in a while. In the US, you can use DNA testing to screen your genetic predisposition to certain inheritable diseases. But of course once a health insurer knows you are genetically predisposed to a disease you cannot get health increase and it is currently legal for employers to discriminate against you. So it basically be a death sentence.
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This isn't only in the US. In Canada, as far as I know, employers can't discriminate against you but you can get screwed for life insurance if you undergo genetic testing and it turns out you have a bad gene or two.
There's a gene linked to my family that causes Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, which is basically a heart condition that is treatable but possibly fatal. I had the opportunity to have genetic testing done to see if I have the gene but decided not to for these exact reasons. But what doesn't make sense is that I can go buy life insurance tomorrow, then go get the tests done the next day, and even if I have the gene they can't cancel my insurance. The whole thing is kinda ridiculous.
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