Yahoo! News - Public Fear of Genetic Discrimination Grows
WASHINGTON (Reuters Health) - While science is moving rapidly to develop more tests to detect genetic abnormalities that can lead to disease, the public is growing more wary. Many fear the possibility that their genetic information might fall into the wrong hands, witnesses told a U.S. House subcommittee Thursday.

More than 1,000 different genetic tests are now in use or in development, Kathy Hudson, Director of the Johns Hopkins University Genetic and Public Policy Center, told the House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations.

Yet a survey conducted this spring by the Center found that 92 percent of those polled think employers are not entitled to know if the results of an employee's genetic test puts that worker at increased risk for disease, and 80 percent said health insurance companies should not have access to that information, either.

"Opposition to employer and health insurers' access to genetic test results has grown since a similar survey was conducted by the Genetics and Public Policy Center in 2002," Hudson told the subcommittee.

Hudson and other witnesses at the hearing said patients are not likely to feel comfortable taking advantage of new genetic testing and potential treatments until they are assured that information will not be used against them by either employers or insurers.

"What are people afraid of? They're afraid they're going to lose their health insurance," testified Jane Massey Licata, a professor of patent law at Rutgers School of Law in New Jersey.

And they should be. This is a situation that should be closely watched. You know damn well that the insurance companies will penalize anyone with a "pre-existing" condition with higher rates, possibly pricing them out of the ballpark.

My father wanted to get me a physical for my birthday. Part of the reason I declined is that I don't want them to find anything now, when I don't have any avenue to address it. It's almost to the point that I have to wait until it disables me so I can get aid to pay for treatment. Sad.