Information and health insurance

Re “Senate backs privacy for genetic data,” April 25

The Senate bill that “addresses” discrimination based on genetic testing results is icing on a cake made out of dung. There are anti-discrimination laws on the books already against age discrimination, sex discrimination, ethnic discrimination, and so on. Yet discrimination persists.

If the information can be forcefully extracted, it will be abused, period. The only way Americans can have total medical privacy is to put total control of all medical data, including genetic testing results, into the hands of the individual.

The tragedy here is that the insurance companies are going to use our premiums to lobby against the interests of the American people.

Patrick Sullivan

Reseda

Once again liberal politicians are telling us that certain persons, because of their ancestry (DNA), are to be considered in a special class. Their genetic makeup cannot be considered when applying for health insurance.

When a person applies for auto insurance, is he not asked what type of car he drives? Will his current-year Mercedes be insured at the same rate as the owner of a 1970 VW Bug? Should the buyer of a $3-million beachfront residence pay the same rate as the buyer of a $150,000 home?

Al Garcia

Buena Park