America: Now Gattaca Safe?

I don’t want to become “the guy who reposts Wired articles,” but they did just mention another interesting item.

A bill designed to protect Americans from genetic discrimination has just passed the Senate and is ready for Bush to sign it. This bill is supposed to keep employers, insurance companies, and the like from using genetic tests against us. This is a very good thing, assuming the language of the bill is effective. With laws like this one in place, research can move forward at a quicker pace.

Without protections, it is likely that people would have been reluctant to use new genetic screening technologies. Why find out you might be prone to a rare cancer if that information could raise your insurance premiums? This new bill was crafted with foresight that will pave the way for better preventive medicine, with much more desirable social consequences. Good job, Congress (1).

(1) Good job contingent on S.358 being crafted effectively.