JiscMail Logo
Email discussion lists for the UK Education and Research communities

Help for CYBER-SOCIETY-LIVE Archives


CYBER-SOCIETY-LIVE Archives

CYBER-SOCIETY-LIVE Archives


CYBER-SOCIETY-LIVE@JISCMAIL.AC.UK


View:

Message:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

By Topic:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

By Author:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

Font:

Proportional Font

LISTSERV Archives

LISTSERV Archives

CYBER-SOCIETY-LIVE Home

CYBER-SOCIETY-LIVE Home

CYBER-SOCIETY-LIVE  2000

CYBER-SOCIETY-LIVE 2000

Options

Subscribe or Unsubscribe

Subscribe or Unsubscribe

Log In

Log In

Get Password

Get Password

Subject:

[CSL] GENETIC TESTS AND HEALTH INSURANCE

From:

John Armitage <[log in to unmask]>

Reply-To:

[log in to unmask][log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2000 11:50 PM
To: EPIC Info
Subject: EPIC Alert 7.1045_26May200008:58:[log in to unmask]

Date:

Fri, 12 May 2000 16:48:59 +0100

Content-Type:

text/plain

Parts/Attachments:

Parts/Attachments

text/plain (135 lines)

Le Monde Diplomatique. May 2000

======================================
GENETIC TESTS AND HEALTH INSURANCE

A future divided

by DOROTHIE BENOIT BROWAEYS and JEAN-CLAUDE KAPLAN
<http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/en/2000/05/051geneticsbox>
                                     In Europe and America

                            In Britain, in November 1998, the powerful
Association of British Insurers
                            (ABI) in rejected the two-year moratorium on
genetic testing requested by the
                            Human Genetics Advisory Committee (HGAC). While
the British government
                            refuses to legislate on these questions, the ABI
has proposed a "code of
                            practice" (1) which bans insurers from asking
for tests but allows them access
                            to the results of any that may have been carried
out. However, insurers cannot
                            make use of the results for a policy for less
than £100,000. Seven tests
                            relating to seven diseases have been identified
as of interest to insurers. A
                            structure is to be established to see whether
the tests are relevant.

                            British insurers have also said that there is no
question of reducing premiums
                            for people with a "good genetic profile", lest
there be a mad rush for
                            discounts. In the English-speaking countries,
insurers generally make a
                            selection based on lifestyle. In this way,
account is taken of the greater risks
                            of smokers, for example. 

                            At the other end of the scale, on 1 January 1998
the Netherlands brought in a
                            very strict law affecting insurers. This "Van
Boxtel" act bans the industry from
                            using genetic testing completely. Switzerland is
currently looking at these
                            issues in connection with its draft law on human
genetics.

                            Across the Atlantic, the scene is very
different. Genetic tests for paternity, for
                            example, are available without prescription in
the form of reagents. In France,
                            these are illegal without a court order, but are
offered for sale on a large
                            number of internet sites. But in the United
States they are available in
                            drugstores with no check on their quality or
medical suitability. Anyone can
                            check their risk of getting colon, prostate or
breast cancer, diabetes or
                            Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease. The Texan
firm, Interleukine Genetics, is
                            marketing kits that people can use to test their
predisposition for
                            osteoporosis, asthma or coronary failure, while
rival firm Myriad Genetics
                            Laboratories lets you check your propensity for
breast cancer or salt-sensitive
                            high blood pressure.

                            According to Francis Collins, head of the US
National Human Genome
                            Research Institute (Bethesda, Maryland), there
are around 700 tests for
                            genetic predisposition on the American market,
only half of which are used by
                            the 400 medical analysis laboratories. Since
they are not standard commercial
                            products, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
cannot intervene and
                            there are many abuses. 

                            To avoid such abuses, in June 1998 the US Health
Ministry set up the
                            Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetic
Testing (SACGT) to advise the
                            National Institutes of Health (2). According to
that committee, only some 20
                            prediction tests are controlled and regularly
used in clinical practice.

                            At present, the US Congress is particularly
concerned with protecting data
                            and confidentiality. A survey conducted in 1997
showed that 22% of persons
                            with genetic risks said they had lost their
private health insurance because their
                            company got to know of their status. John
Hopkins University law professor
                            Lawrence Gostin is looking into these questions
in connection with health law
                            reform. For those who are worried Big Brother is
watching them, he says,
                            there is something more worrying still: Big
Brother is taking notes and keeping
                            them! From the lawyer's point of view, the
important thing is to find ways to
                            ensure that databases intended for research are
kept strictly separate from
                            those used for socioeconomic purposes. Those who
know that public and
                            private are now a continuum where information
knows no boundaries will
                            consider this quite a challenge.

                                                                      D.B.B.
and J.C.K. 

                            (1) Genetic testing (ABI code of practice)
revised August 1999: email
                            [log in to unmask]

                            (2) Chaired by Edward McCabe, professor of
paediatrics at the University of
                            California, Los Angeles. 

                                                     Translated by Malcolm
Greenwood

  


%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Top of Message | Previous Page | Permalink

JiscMail Tools


RSS Feeds and Sharing


Advanced Options


Archives

May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
June 2022
May 2022
March 2022
February 2022
October 2021
July 2021
June 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000


JiscMail is a Jisc service.

View our service policies at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/policyandsecurity/ and Jisc's privacy policy at https://www.jisc.ac.uk/website/privacy-notice

For help and support help@jisc.ac.uk

Secured by F-Secure Anti-Virus CataList Email List Search Powered by the LISTSERV Email List Manager