Finally we are going to settle the issue of genetic testing and personal privacy. And it's about time.
According to Andy Pollack's story in today's New York Times:
"Proponents say the new law, more than a dozen years in the making, would help usher in an age of genetic medicine, in which DNA tests might help predict if a person is at risk of a disease, allowing action to be taken to prevent it.
Some of the tests already exist, like one for breast cancer risk, and new ones are being introduced almost every month. But backers of the legislation say many people are afraid of taking such tests because they fear the results would be used to deny them employment or health insurance.
“This bill removes a significant obstacle to the advancement of personalized medicine,” said Edward Abrahams, the executive director of the Personalized Medicine Coalition. His group is an organization of drug and diagnostic companies, academic institutions and patient groups that advocate using genetic information to choose the most appropriate treatment for each patient."
Here's the rest of the story:
www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/business/23gene.html
All sounds good, right? Hopefully.
We'll wait and see, when the payer is the government , if Uncle Sam retains the same "keep your hands outta my genes" philosophy.
But, in the meantime, well done.
According to Andy Pollack's story in today's New York Times:
"Proponents say the new law, more than a dozen years in the making, would help usher in an age of genetic medicine, in which DNA tests might help predict if a person is at risk of a disease, allowing action to be taken to prevent it.
Some of the tests already exist, like one for breast cancer risk, and new ones are being introduced almost every month. But backers of the legislation say many people are afraid of taking such tests because they fear the results would be used to deny them employment or health insurance.
“This bill removes a significant obstacle to the advancement of personalized medicine,” said Edward Abrahams, the executive director of the Personalized Medicine Coalition. His group is an organization of drug and diagnostic companies, academic institutions and patient groups that advocate using genetic information to choose the most appropriate treatment for each patient."
Here's the rest of the story:
www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/business/23gene.html
All sounds good, right? Hopefully.
We'll wait and see, when the payer is the government , if Uncle Sam retains the same "keep your hands outta my genes" philosophy.
But, in the meantime, well done.
