Genetic testing has been around since the 1960s, when doctors began urging parents to have their babies screened for certain conditions.
But in the past decade, it has been increasingly used to uncover a person’s predisposition for developing diseases.
With this brave new world of medical prediction has come concerns about genetic discrimination. What if health insurers used such tests to exclude people from coverage? What if employers based hiring decisions on test outcomes?
Congress this week approved a measure that would outlaw such discrimination by insurers and employers. It’s a good first step on a multifaceted issue that is sure to be with us for decades to come.
While there are legitimate concerns about how much people want to know about their fate, there certainly can be benefits to knowing about an impending condition and taking steps to alleviate its effects.
Public policy that removes penalties for seeking such knowledge is the correct course of action.
The legislation, approved 414-1 in the House on Thursday, would prohibit employers from using test results to hire, fire, promote or demote an employee. It also would bar health insurance companies from using the information to jack up premiums or deny coverage.
Medical researchers hope the measure will encourage people to take advantage of genetic testing.
Health professionals say there is a widespread fear among patients of discrimination resulting from testing, but few examples have been reported of it happening.
Nevertheless, perceptions often create reality.
There is a testing industry that exists explicitly for those people who want to be screened confidentially, outside the parameters of the official medical records to which insurance companies have access.
Bringing genetic testing out of the shadows can be a good thing for patients.
Those who have the markers that show they will develop a certain cancer, for instance, could modify their lifestyles or even take medication to stave off the onset of the disease. Health insurance companies could use the information to better plan care for a patient.
The legislation that passed — and which President Bush has said he will sign — is bound to provoke thought about whether to undergo such testing.
The mere availability of the tests and the new protections against discrimination do not mean they’re right for everyone. People should ask their doctors — and themselves — whether test results will provide useful information or if it’s seemingly just a money-making venture by a testing company.
Advances in genetic research have brought great leaps in knowledge, but also have created the potential for misuse of such information.
It’s a good thing that the law is poised to finally catch up to science.
