theQuestion: Should insurance companies have a right to your DNA??*
The left is awkwardly discordant when it comes to the practical uses of DNA in today’s society. No surprise, as the left has a tortuous history regarding the science and philosophy of genetics.
The deeply racist eugenics movement of the early 20th century, which sought to purify the populace through forced sterilizations and other techniques of social engineering, was an entirely progressive-left affair.
Yes, private health and life insurance companies in Canada should have access to its customers’ genetic information to determine risk of future illness. This is precisely what they do when evaluating mandatory medical exams, blood work and lifestyle profiles (i.e. whether someone smokes, drinks, eats poorly). The more valuable the policy, the greater the risk and premiums should be set accordingly.
Why should genetic information not be included? If a person has a one-in-four chance of developing a genetic illness, the risk should be factored into the premium. Just as other determining medical factors.
Bill S-201, the Genetic Non-Discrimination Act, which is a private member’s bill introduced last year by former Liberal senator James Cowan should be scrapped. It would enshrine and protect “genetic characteristics” in the Canadian Human Rights Act right beside race, colour, religion and sexual orientation. Similar to recent additions to the protected classes, the consequences are too broad and unforeseen.
Protections are needed to shield individuals from pressure or compulsion to provide DNA against their will. I assume those protections are already embedded in the mountain of human rights and labour laws in our country.
Curiously missing from Bill S-201 is any mention or protection from government gathering a person’s DNA. Government is good at it. Over the past 17 years, hundreds of thousands of Canadians convicted of crime have been entered into the National DNA Databank. One need not be a rapist or murderer, those convicted of break-and-enter, failing to stop at a scene of an accident, making threats or, in some cases, causing mischief are swabbed into the system.
As a law and order man, I have no problem snapping up DNA of the convicted. But, it begs the question, isn’t the genie already out of the bottle?
DNA is now thoroughly commercialized. You have seen the ads. Head over to AncestryDNA and, for a little over $100, you can join what the company touts as the world’s largest consumer DNA database. Once swabbed in “uncover your ethnic mix.”
Sounds very progressive to me.