Genetic Discrimination Is Coming for Us All

A 60-year-old man was denied a long-term-care insurance policy because he had a genetic mutation linked to ALS .

The genetic-nondiscrimination law was passed in 2008 , but gaps in the law mean insurers can deny customers coverage based on their genetic risk factors for disease.

Studies have shown that people seek out additional insurance when they have increased genetic odds of becoming ill or dying.

Research has consistently found that concerns about discrimination are one of the most cited reasons that people avoid taking DNA tests.

For some genetically linked diseases, such as ALS and Huntington ’s disease, knowing you have a harmful mutation does not enable you to prevent the potential onset of disease.

As we learn more about what genes mean for everyone’s health, insurance companies could use that information to dictate coverage for ever more people.

The average age of onset is 40 to 60 , but many people don’t show symptoms until well into their 70s .

No one can predict all of the potential consequences of decoding the genome.