The DNA Network batted this issue around several months ago, but it’s coming back in the form of a Letter to Nature.
His argument is that there’s no guarantee that making insurance companies remain ignorant of a patient’s genetic risks will prevent discrimination against those who have the unlucky combination of poor economic status and genetic risk factors.
I think he’s right. For one thing, the government would have to force people to not voluntarily disclose their info to the insurers, perhaps in exchange for a premium reduction, and that would be a little heavy-handed, wouldn’t it? Currently, the system helps those with higher risks obtain insurance by essentially letting the people who pay in without making claims subsidize the rates for those who make more claims than they pay in. Why couldn’t it work the same way if the insurers were able to take genetic risks into consideration? It might even lower the total cost of insuring everyone, allowing the insurers to cover more people for the same costs, or the same amount of people for much less cost with the high risk people picked up by programs similar to those which cover the homes of those in flood-prone areas. (As a New Orleanian, I’m not one to sign the praises of FEMA, believe me, so I’m not holding the NFIP up as an example, I just think the actuarial considerations are similar). Maybe we could even make enrollment of a certain amount of high-risk people a condition of being allowed to set rates based on genetic profiling?
This is all jumping the gun a little, because actual rock-solid, high-confidence correlations between a genetic feature and a disease are still rather rare, but one thing’s for sure: The better you see what’s ahead, the better you can plan for it (whether a insurance company or an individual), and having a good plan leads to better outcomes for everyone. Everyone’s worried about enabling social injustice, but it can’t really be said that our current insurance system in which many are so under-served is really all that great to begin with, so let that temper your thoughts, as well.
Genetic-Future via Genome Technology
Published by Mr. Gunn at October 19, 2007
James Watson said that some part of intelligence may be genetically determined, and, in support of this, says that there are differences which break down among racial lines. I haven’t seen the data, so I can’t comment on that point, but neither have the reporters. That doesn’t stop them from running to the presses with a dynamite headline like “Watson says black people are stupid”. (Did you pick up on how excited the reporter was to get this interview?)I also find it hard to believe that a smart fella like Watson, who has been previously misquoted as saying things like “people should abort their gay children”, didn’t realize that this would be sensationalized. So, based on this, I’d like to offer to him the Attention Whore Lifetime Achievement Merit Badge. Jim, please pick it up to the left of this post, thank you.
Now, I don’t particularly like painting a target on my head, but I dislike even more the implicit suggestion that there is no reason anyone would study the genetic basis of intelligence unless he was trying to push a racist agenda. I don’t like the fact that even seeming to defend him is enough evidence to brand one a “hidden” racist in the eyes of the media. It’s implicit censorship of the idea that maybe people are actually different on a genetic level, and says more about the hidden agenda or beliefs of the people who replace “different” with “better” than it does about the researcher who uncovers those differences. Those who wish to believe that everyone is identical on a genetic level should avoid at all costs having a conversation with Watson’s schizophrenic son. I think having a son with a mental disorder gives you an excellent reason to want to study the genetics of mental development. To figure out what happened to his son is one of the main reasons the Genome project was started, so one would have to be fairly heartless to imply that Watson instead has a racist agenda.
If you want to read more about this, start here:
Here’s Watson’s interview, here’s Watson’s statement, here’s some data on IQ, race, and socioeconomic status, and here’s a book for you to read.
Published by Mr. Gunn at February 24, 2003
There is a nice analysis of the HIV vaccine results at Lagniappe. This story has been all over the news, even making the local television news. Apparently, it’s supposed to be some big deal that the vaccince caused a greater immune response in hispanic and african americans than in asians or “others”. Who can practice medicine, now in the post genomic era, and not take as old news the fact that different genes may mean different medical treatment? I would certainly hope my doctor places patient care over being politically correct, wouldn’t you?
I am so ready for this to become a non-issue, but, as Derek mentions, it is going to come up more and more often now, like a repressed memory whose only release is through catharsis. Only then we can start talking about what we’re going to do about it.
Published by Mr. Gunn at February 24, 2003
Razib has invited me to take my seat at his roundtable, and I am honored to do so. Upon logging in to write my first post, I noticed that 4 out of the 5 most recent pings were from “Gene Expression contributors are racists” discussions. Of course, that’s just par for the course when you’re discussing such emotionally charged issues as genetic(i.e. racial) influences on intelligence and cross-cultural concepts of beauty.
[EDIT 2-12-2007 - I regret that I kinda flaked out after this, but I'm glad to see that Gene Expression is still around.
Recent Comments