Insurance companies are similarly able to use genetic information to reject applications for health insurance, or to charge these individuals higher rates. Someday the knowledge that one is carrying a genetic disease marker may simply mean taking the cure. In the interim however, this knowledge is able to work either for or against individuals. It is society's loss if people avoid genetic testing which could improve their health, because of a fear of negative repercussions from either their employer or health insurer. Or if these same fears discourage individuals from participating in research that attempts to find cures for diseases with genetic markers.
Current laws are inadequate.
Also, the ADA does not prevent employers from gaining access to genetic test results through legal access to an employee's medical records. Other areas of ambiguity include discrimination based on a blood relative's genetic test or on the fact that an employee's dependent carries a disease marker and may some day require company-covered medical care. The Health and Human Services Committee is working on a final draft of the legislation for the 1999 session. The Genetic Testing Privacy Act creates much needed boundaries around genetic testing, allowing individuals to make informed health decisions and protecting them from potential abuses by employers and health insurance companies. If passed, this legislation will have a positive impact on all individuals who must make the complex and difficult decision to undergo genetic testing.