Genetic testing is a type of medical test that identifies changes in proteins, chromosomes, or genes. Genetic tests can be performed on a sample of blood, hair, skin, or other part of tissue. There are many people who wish to get genetic tests done the reason being is that genetic tests can help determine a person’s chance of developing or passing on a genetic disorder. Today, these tests are being used to detect the more common diseases consisting of heart disease, cancer, etc. In many cases health insurance plans will cover the costs of genetic testing when a person’s doctor recommends it. However health insurance providers have different policies about which genetic tests are covered. There are thousands of genetic tests that are available to this day and with more being developed health insurance plans will not cover all of them. With that being said genetic tests can be quite pricey and many people rely on their insurance carrier to cover the price or at least a percentage of the cost.
Although genetic testing has the capability of improving human life, the problem with genetic testing is that there are many ethical issues that may arise. For example issues such as privacy, consent, and fear of discrimination by insurance companies from the results of genetic tests. Which is why many people who wish to get a genetic test done pay out of pocket and do not go through their insurance carrier because of fear that if the test where to comeback positive for some type of disease or disorder their insurance carrier may deny them coverage. The insurance industry may compel insurers to incorporate genetic information, which will then lead to insurance companies misusing that information to either deny or cease coverage. This can be known as genetic discrimination. Genetic discrimination occurs when people are treated differently by their employer or insurance company because they have a gene mutation that causes or increases the risk of an inherited disorder. Genetic testing has also caused the debate of patient confidentiality. Why? With the advance of technology, trends in research are shifting away from direct human involvement to the use of genetics. Meaning that issues of confidentiality will arise because using the genetic profile of an individual has different implications than a human being. Which brings us to the issue if health insurance companies should be allowed to pay for any genetic testing they deem to be necessary.
Genetic testing has been studied for many years. The variety of genetic tests has also expanded throughout the years. Today genetic testing is becoming more and more popular and the history of genetic testing has laid the foundation for modern analysis into diseases as well as paternity and ancestry DNA testing. Many people to this day are using these tests rapidly as a routine tool for medical diagnosis. Genetic tests can be used to help some people as well as harm. The benefits from a genetic test involve seeing the results no matter if they’re positive or negative for a gene mutation. The disadvantage from a genetic test is that if the test were to come back positive it can lead to an increased level of anxiety, guilt, and may also affect family relations.
Health insurance companies should not be able to pay for what test they deem necessary. The decision should be made between the doctor and the patient to avoid genetic discrimination by insurance companies. It is quite obvious that health insurance companies are just out to make money but in this business the client needs to come first. It is no secret that health insurance companies are looking out for themselves instead of worrying about the patient’s autonomy and well being which is what needs to be top priority. Health insurance companies should not be able to deny a certain test if a person’s doctor recommends it. An issue with health insurance companies denying a certain genetic test is that it can potentially prevent patients from getting the needed treatment. The client should have the autonomy and the right to decide to be tested if they or the doctor believe it is needed. Not only will the patient benefit from health insurance companies paying for genetic testing but the health insurance company as well. Genetic testing cost much less than treating an actual disease and it also allows people to take preemptive measures to prevent that disease. If the genetic test were to come back negative health insurance companies paid a small price to prove they will not have to pay much more in the future. The clients peace of mind should be worth the cost and if the health insurance company helps the client the client is less likely to take their business elsewhere.
Although there are many arguments that support my position, there are as well many opposing arguments. A reason that health insurance companies should be allowed to pay for any genetic testing they deem to be necessary is because of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act also referred to as GINA. This act is a federal law that protects Americans from being treated unfairly because of differences in their DNA that may affect their health. The law prevents discrimination from health insurers and employers (genome.gov). Therefore Under GINA, insurance companies cannot use genetic information to make decisions about a person’s coverage. An alternative reason that health insurance companies should be allowed to pay for genetic testing they deem to be necessary are because of the clinical benefits of genetic testing to the patient. Genomic medicine has the capacity to revolutionize clinical practice, but if insurance companies and Medicare are unwilling to pay for genetic testing, this important progress will be stalled (genome.gov). Genetic testing can be quite expensive and insurance companies should be allowed to pay for genetic tests they deem to be necessary. By allowing insurance companies to pay, clients will be more open to genetic tests since they will no longer have to worry about the cost of the test. Which can then lead to more chances to predict, prevent and treat diseases as well as help people make informed decisions about managing their health care.
Genetic testing has a great potential for society as a whole. That is when it is used in an ethical manner. Genetic testing comes with many positive and negative effects, as well as many ethical issues. Ethical Issues such as privacy, consent, and fear of discrimination by insurance companies. When genetic testing is involved the autonomy and well being of the patient needs to come before what the health insurance company thinks. Health insurance companies have no right to decide which test they feel deem necessary to pay. The decision should be made between the doctor and the patient. If health insurance companies were to get the option to pay for whatever testing they deem to be necessary they would use it as an advantage and put themselves first rather then the client, which is morally wrong. The ethical principles that correlate into this issue involve proper application of the principle of autonomy, use of informed consent, maintenance of strict privacy or confidentiality, beneficence, non-maleficence, equity and justice. Informed consent in genetic screening is one application of the principle of autonomy. It is crucial that the person knows the purpose and risk of the test and the participation in the test is voluntary without any sense of coercion.
My position relates to the ethical principle of justice. Justice assures that all the individuals get equal and fair treatment. Genetic testing involving health insurance companies need to be fair and give fair treatment to the clients. This relates to a Christ centered view of the issue because God would want us to be fair with each other no matter the socioeconomic, ethnic, or geographic status. By not allowing health insurance companies to decide which tests to pay for that they deem necessary the impact on the future of health care, public health and our society would be tremendous. Genetic testing would benefit the society by being able to enable early detection of cancer, which can potentially lead to a reduction in cancer incidence and mortality rates.