Walgreens backs off on plan to sell genetic test

[Lallans]

I know the US is adopting a swell universal health care system that starts in a few years, but in the meantime how would it work if you foundo out you have some genetic tendency for a medical problem and failed to disclose it to your private insurer? Could they cancel out on you then? Or would they if you DID disclose to them? One hears stories about people who were dropped because they were asked about viruses and didn't mention a wart on the left thumb and stuff like that....

[Lyle1]

I know the US is adopting a swell universal health care system that starts in a few years, but in the meantime how would it work if you foundo out you have some genetic tendency for a medical problem and failed to disclose it to your private insurer? Could they cancel out on you then? Or would they if you DID disclose to them? One hears stories about people who were dropped because they were asked about viruses and didn't mention a wart on the left thumb and stuff like that....

You raise a very important issue in areas far beyond national health plans. Once your DNA is tested, it is not realistic to assume that your information will remain private forever. No security system is perfect and legislative protection usual lags far behind technological advances.

If you find out that you are genetically predisposed to certain diseases you could find yourself in a catch 22 situation. If you disclose that information to a health or life insurance carrier, you probably will be denied coverage. If you don't disclose the information and get coverage, you could be guilty of fraud, and the policy could be invalidated, and you could be prosecuted.

If your privacy is breached, you could be denied jobs, admittance to some schools, loans, etc. Your children could also be stigmatized.

I understand why people who have a family history of certain diseases might want to be tested, and I respect that decision, but I do advise caution, particularly with children. If no medical cure or treatment is available, the advantage to having the knowledge might not be great enough to justify the risk of having the knowledge.

You could assume, without taking the test, that based on family history alone you have an increased risk of developing a certain disease, and plan your life accordingly. In many cases, even if you carry "the gene," your only course of action is to be vigilant about your health, watching for signs or symptoms, and eliminating, if possible any environmental or lifestyle situation that could contribute to the development of the disease. So, unless there is a pressing personal need to "know," you could take the same steps without benefit of the test, and avoid the complications that having the test on record can bring.