smh.com.au — AUSTRALIANS have been refused insurance protection because of their genetic make-up, researchers have shown in the first study in the world to provide proof of genetic discrimination. The findings have led to renewed calls by experts for policies to ensure the appropriate use of genetic test results by the insurance industry.
Mar 12, 2009 View in Crawl 4
fredfredricksonMar 13, 2009
Genes don't determine with 100% accuracy that you will get most diseases, so I don't see how they can do this.
callmeqMar 13, 2009
Lets all move to the Netherlands, Canada, France, or the UK where everyone is covered by universal health care. Then we don't have to worry about genetic profiling.
canceledczechMar 13, 2009
It's like Poe said...
Closed AccountMar 13, 2009
Bingo Headinawheel. This could have longterm and serious implications.
smurfsahoyMar 13, 2009
Why's that necessarily a bad thing? People who are likely to need major surgeries and so forth will pay more of their share, and people likely to be healthy get lower rates. I can see the argument that since it's not their fault, we should give equal rates to everyone anyway, but I don't think that will work, because the people who SHOULD be getting lower rates, once they know they are genetically healthy, simply won't sign up for insurance... Or they'll start their own private insurance group with friends and neighbors, or whatever.You can't take back knowledge. There's no way I would find out my genes say I have good odds, and then still continue voluntarily paying for average odds. It would work with socialized healthcare, I guess, since that's not voluntary.
hamatokamekoMar 14, 2009
That is the best comment on this page. You win today's internets.