Recently, the topic of health insurance companies’ access to genetic information has been controversial. Some people believe that these companies should be able to use genetic information to ensure that insurance plans meet individual needs, potentially improving the quality and relevance coverage. On the other hand, some people state that this may lead to discrimination, such as denying coverage for those who have a high risk. In the following paragraph, both of these viewpoints will be discussed in detail.
One argument in favor of allowing health insurance companies access to go through genetic information is that it could lead to positive outcomes such as improving services. The company could establish new insurance programs that are more suitable for specific individuals and could provide tailored solutions for their situation, so clients would get the best value programs that suit them the most. In other words, providing genetic information could be beneficial for clients by enabling more personalized insurance plans.
However, it would benefit us only if these health insurance companies use the data properly. Yet, clients couldn’t know what companies do with the information which means our genetic information has a chance to be misused for other purposes. Moreover, it could lead to negative consequences, such as discrimination. The reason is that if the company comes across high-risk individuals, they might deny coverage since it costs a lot of money and would give them less return.
In summary, while both perspectives have their benefits and drawbacks, I believe that the negative effects due to misusing information and discrimination outweighs the benefits of using genetic information in determining insurance premiums.