Chapter 8 Reflection

Currently, in the United States under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, health insurance companies are prohibited from denying coverage to individuals with some significant gene mutations. However, life insurance companies do not fall under this prohibition. Insurers can legally ask about health, family history of disease, or genetic information. Consider this example: a 25-year-old woman who has a good job and no current medical issues decided to be proactive about her health and takes a genetic test. She learns from this test that she is positive for the BRCA 1 gene, which puts her at an increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. She is thankful to learn about this health issue ahead of time, but shocked when her subsequent life insurance application is denied due to this test result. Please use this information to answer the following questions: When viewing this issue from a Christian perspective, answer these two questions: Should health insurance companies be allowed to insure individuals based on their health information? Why or why not? Should life insurance companies be allowed to use genetic information to make decisions on insuring individuals? Why or why not? Please be thorough in your answers. Your submission should be 1-2 pages for this assignment.