DNA and Insurance, Fate and Risk

INTRODUCTION

Tubes of DNA to be tested for hereditary disorders. Brendan Smialowski for the New York Times

As costs for DNA sequencing drop, hundreds of thousands of Americans are undergoing the procedure to see if they are at risk for inherited diseases. But while federal law bars employers and health insurers from seeking the results, insurers can still use them in all but three states when considering applications for life, disability and long-term care coverage.

Should insurance companies be barred from seeing genetic information when considering those policies so people can get the tests without fear that the results would be used against them?