How private is genetic information?
Are there any laws or policies that protect personal genetic information from being released to health insurance companies in the Cayman Islands? I’ve been talking to a friend who is wary of being tested for the BRCA gene mutations that cause increased risk of certain cancers. Their doctor does not know whether if someone signs up for a new health insurance policy, they will be obliged to declare a genetic mutation like that as a “pre-existing condition”, even though they have absolutely no cancer symptoms or diagnosis at the time.
Read Auntie’s answer and comment on CNS Local Life
Category: Health, Health Insurance
just get 23andme test; sign up under a fake name if you wish, it is certainly more secure. They run Black Friday family specials. I got it in 2012 and never regretted. It takes few clicks to see data on a particular gene. Lots of free online services that interpret it. That is how I found out that I have vitamin D receptor (VDR) mutations that explains so much about my health issues. No doctor would have ever connected the dots.
At this very early point in genomic mapping, it isn’t an exact science. My 23andMe results gave a narrow range of likelihood for all kinds of physical characteristics that were completely bogus. I wouldn’t put much credence in any of it. Did find a 3rd cousin tho!