Discrimination in the genes - The Boston Globe: "AFTER BEING BLOCKED for years by Republican leaders in the US House, New York Representative Louise Slaughter's bill to ban genetic discrimination passed the chamber last week with 420 votes, and President Bush has vowed to sign it if it reaches his desk. The appeal of the measure is clear: As more hereditary disorders become detectable through genetic testing, more people are at risk of being denied employment or health coverage on the basis of their genetic makeup. And that threat could keep people from coming forward for genetic testing.

Yet the antidiscrimination measure has been held up because Senator Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma, has placed a hold on the bill. He should let the Senate get on with passing the bill, whose importance will only grow as technology evolves.

Already, researchers can screen for genes linked to more than 1,000 diseases. Tests indicating that a patient has an elevated probability of developing breast cancer, for instance, are highly useful in planning medical treatment. But that knowledge can also be devastating, and not just because patients hear their future health troubles foretold.

Slaughter's bill would prohibit insurers from denying coverage to or raising premiums on a healthy person on the basis of genetic test results. Employers would be forbidden from making hiring or promotion decisions on the basis of genetic information. The measure would apply nationwide but would not prevent states from enacting tougher bills -- as Massachusetts already has."

(Read Original Article via The Boston Globe.)