Genetic discrimination to be banned (yes!)

[Finch]

http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080425/full/news.2008.780.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7366264.stm
http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Apr24/0,4670,GeneticDiscrimination,00.html

A bill is going through congress that would ban genetic discrimination (see news stories) and it looks like it will pass!

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act bans US employers from using genetic information in hiring, firing, promotion and compensation decisions, and from collecting genetic information from employees. Similarly, the bill prevents health plans and insurers from denying coverage or boosting premium prices based on a person’s genetic information, such as whether they have gene variants known to increase disease risk. It also forbids them from requesting or requiring people to take genetic tests.

This is very good news. I understand the bill has been hung up for some time because several business interests oppose it and one of their lackeys stalled it previously. This means that if you were found out to be genetically susceptible to something you cant be barred from employment because of it. This means the very things that make you you cannot be discriminated against. I think this is great.

 

[jm82792]

That would be a horrible thing if the bill didn't pass I mean seriosly you get fired for an agression gene or something..... Or they jack up your insurance for your genetics.

 

[bianchi914]

This bill is really important i meen if someone was found to have "bad" jeans than an insurance company could decide, :well since they have bad jeans i will not insure them. Which would be toatally unfair. If this bill were to get passed there would be several million people in jeorady of problems with jobs, etc. I totally think that withuot this bill it is stealing a person rights and that they are being violated (not like any form of government already does that... cough patriot cough act anybody?))

 

[swords]

So... there are employers that take DNA swabs instead of piss tests? Otherwise how would a company get your genetic info?

The insurance criminals already won't cover you if you've got anything wrong with you, some of them are now even dropping people if they decide they don't wanna pay for some meds you'll be taking the rest of your life. "We only pay to cure you, not to maintain you."

Time to move to Canada or Scandinavia... Hello polar bears!

 

[theyellowdart]

holy crap! I just wrote a paper in biology about stuff like this.

Time to move to Canada or Scandinavia... Hello polar bears!

Have fun getting taxed up the butt!
(A more descriptive word could have been used if this wasn't a family site)

 

[xvart]

We all would get dropped from our insurance plans, since nobody is genetically perfect.

xvart.

 

[ktulu]

I am glad to see that there is finally some progress made on this issue. All of us possess some genes that increase the likelihood that we will get one disease or another. The HMO's would have probably denied coverage based solely on the likelihood whether or not you ever developed the disease. As for employers its nice that they cant go through and not hire people who might get sick regardless of if they are. Also I think this help protect against types of back door racism as there are some genetic signatures that are predominant in some "races".

 

[swords]

Have fun getting taxed up the butt!
(A more descriptive word could have been used if this wasn't a family site)

Which country did you move here from? What was the tax rate compared to your salary?

 

[theyellowdart]

Which country did you move here from? What was the tax rate compared to your salary?

I didn't move here from anywhere. I know that based on what relatives/friends have gone through.
I don't know the exact numbers for the tax rate, but I do know that it is higher than the U.S.

 

[herenorthere]

Some countries charge enough in taxes to pay for what society spends. We cut taxes and build up a monumental national debt for later generations to pay off. While depleting the resources they would need to be able to do it.

 

[xvart]

Some countries charge enough in taxes to pay for what society spends. We cut taxes and build up a monumental national debt for later generations to pay off. While depleting the resources they would need to be able to do it.

Sounds about right. I would gladly pay higher taxes to have a strong system.

xvart.

 

[Finch]

So... there are employers that take DNA swabs instead of piss tests? Otherwise how would a company get your genetic info?

I heard that if you have a genetic test it appears on your medical records and those are reviewed sometimes. Can anyone confirm that?

 

[tbone]

Has anyone seen the movie Gattaca? It shows what the future could be if genetic discrimination ever became a serious threat.

 

[theyellowdart]

Has anyone seen the movie Gattaca? It shows what the future could be if genetic discrimination ever became a serious threat.

Yes, I watched it in Biology when we were on the whole subject of DNA and such. It was a good movie.

Gattaca was pretty much the basis for the paper I was talking about.

 

[ktulu]

Not to mention that this could easily bring back eugenics based on knowing which genes are harmful, and that is not a world I want to live in. We as a species have gone through that once I hope we never have to deal with it again.