Question

The genetic advances allow the technology that determines the risk of acquiring a certain disease through a test. The government is considering the possibility of allowing the insurance companies to make the above test, before they offer the insurance policy to the buyers. What would you advise to the government? Assume that the cause of the disease is only genetic, so it is not determined by the habits of the consumer.

Answer 1

Application of genetic methods to determine the risks of acquiring a disease is a great advantage to identify a potential threat to life, but applying the same to an insurance policy doesn't seems fair. Genetic disorders are mainly classified to three (1) Single Gene disorder, (2) Chromosomal disorders, and (3) Complex disorders. Making a genetic test as a criteria for insurance policy is not supported as certain diseases can be cured with the help of present day and upcoming advancement in genetic engineering. For example a person with family history of heart diseases is likely to have heart disease, but it can be cured with a heart transplantation or by means of a surgery. Similarly cell based genetic disorders can be treated with bone marrow transplantation and some others can be treated in future using Gene therapy. Also it can't be said one hundred percent accurately that one might not inherit a genetic disorder in his/her later period of life which may occur as a result of mutation due to some external factors or work environment. My advise to the government would be to not imply the test as a criteria as of now, it can be made as a priority in future when further advancements are made in the field of genetics.