Discrimination by insurers based on genetic testing undermines role of insurance
We can’t abolish risk, so let’s spread it fairly. We are accustomed now to the idea that technological breakthroughs may affect matters far removed from their original field. But now we find that sometimes even the research that seeks to establish such breakthroughs can have long-term consequences for those involved. As The Age reported this week, people who have genetic tests run the risk of being denied some insurance if the test turns out positive.
Such tests, carried out as part of medical diagnosis or a research project, can determine if someone is susceptible to a debilitating or life-threatening condition. We reported on the situation of Edwina Sawyer, who genetic testing has found to have Lynch’s syndrome, which makes it more likely – though by no means certain – that she may develop cancer. Ms Sawyer does not have cancer. She has taken strenuous measures to ensure she avoids the possibility of certain cancers, and to detect the earliest signs of others. Yet she cannot obtain life insurance, and travel insurance is prohibitively expensive. She is not alone.
We can’t abolish risk, so let’s spread it fairly. We are accustomed now to the idea that technological breakthroughs may affect matters far removed from their original field. But now we find that sometimes even the research that seeks to establish such breakthroughs can have long-term consequences for those involved. As The Age reported this week, people who have genetic tests run the risk of being denied some insurance if the test turns out positive. Such tests, carried out as part of medical diagnosis or a research project, can determine if someone is susceptible to a debilitating or life-threatening condition. We reported on the situation of Edwina Sawyer, who genetic testing has found to have Lynch’s syndrome, which makes it more likely – though by no means certain –