Blinded with science

Results of genetic testing should be private

Last week, the Michigan Commission of Genetic Privacy and Progress held a public forum to discuss ethical issues surrounding the field of genetics. Of great concern to the public is the desire of insurance companies to have access to genetic test results. The commission must support a person's right to keep his or her genetic information private.

As the science of genetics advances, researchers continue to discover the functions of individual genes and the ways they affect the body. Many serious diseases are hereditary, and science is trying to develop techniques for manipulating genes to improve a person's health. Already researchers are able to identify many genes that cause a serious illness or at least indicate a higher than average potential for one developing as a person's life progresses. Tests for hereditary diseases such as colon cancer exist, and these tests can help save lives. With the knowledge that they are at risk for severe illness, people may start taking preventative measures early in life that decrease the chances of sickness.

Genetic tests reveal very personal information; after all, genes are the foundation that provide people with their distinctive traits. Because the field is so new, the ethical issues inherent in dealing with people's genes have not been entirely fleshed out yet. The commission's objective is to compile a report that legislators can use when designing laws that define a person's rights concerning his or her genetic information. Here is where the conflict between insurance companies and private citizens begins.

Insurance companies feel that they must have access to any and all genetic tests their customers undergo. Without such access, they argue that they will not know the proper premiums to charge relative to the risk the companies incur. Insurance companies do exist to turn a profit, and knowing the indications inherent in a person's genetic code could certainly help them increase their revenue.

Many people fear that if insurance companies are able to know the results of genetic testing, their premiums will unfairly skyrocket. At this stage, genetics are an inexact science and many tests only reveal the likelihood that a person may develop a particular affliction - not the certainty that such a problem will result.

The commission and the government should support that a person's genetic test results are his or her own personal information and that they do not fall in the insurance company's domain. Already, some people choose not to undergo genetic tests in the fear of increasing their premiums or losing their coverage. The government must step in to alleviate such fears so that people do not preclude themselves from receiving preventative treatments that could save their lives.

Also, the government and insurance companies must realize that genetics only play a limited part in a person's health. People's lifestyles impact their health just as much as their genes. Charging a person more because of a gene that indicates a higher risk of cancer would not be all that different from charging a person more because they eat high-fat cheeseburgers often.

Allowing insurance companies to use genetic tests gives them an unreliable measuring stick for setting premiums and hurts people who may hesitate to get tests in the face of rising insurance costs. The government must step in to prevent profit from eclipsing people's ability to afford insurance and seek proper care.

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