DNA test protections

Friday, April 25, 2008 | 2:06 a.m.

The Senate unanimously passed legislation this week — and the House is expected to follow suit — that would prohibit employers and health insurers from discriminating against people on the basis of genetic tests.

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act has had widespread congressional support over the past 13 years, but has never passed both the House and the Senate in the same session. President Bush has said he will sign the legislation.

Under GINA, employers and health insurers would not be allowed to deny employment or benefits based on the results of genetic tests. It also would be illegal for employers or insurers to request or demand that a person obtain a genetic test.

Supporters say the law is necessary for people to feel comfortable about DNA testing, which may help predict whether a person is at risk of contracting certain diseases or health conditions.

For example, DNA tests to determine the possible risk of developing breast cancer already exist, and other genetic tests are being introduced every year, The New York Times reports. But many people are reluctant to have the tests because they fear rejection by employers or health insurers if the tests show that they are genetically predisposed to such illnesses as cancer, diabetes or heart disease.

Francis Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, said, “The American public can breathe a sigh of relief that the fear of genetic discrimination ... has been dealt with.”

However, it took 13 years.

Technology is an ever-advancing mechanism, and the ability to do something fantastic and new almost always will occur before society has had the chance to fully consider the consequences. We hope that in the future the government will be quicker about addressing the ethical concerns and other issues that new technologies raise.