Fear of being denied insurance because of an absence of laws protecting the results of genetic testing is apparently behind the lack of uptake of the new technology among Canadians,
Although a bill is currently before the federal senate on the issue of genetic discrimination, for now Canada is the sole nation in the G-7 without legislation prohibiting inequities based on genetic information.
“The fear is employment discrimination, potential discrimination in the long run, although we have a universal health care system, of not getting access to health care information if they want, and life insurance,” says Medical Director of Clinical Genetics at the University of Calgary, said Dr. Francois Bernier.
“I think we are going to see genetic testing for lots of chronic diseases, you know, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, heart disease.” And the field is one Dr. Bernier sees as only likely to expand.
“In our research studies, we are sequencing 20,000 genes in people and doing so in a few days of work, so rapid implementation is available and companies are going to drive this, but the health care system needs to think of how to do this effectively and safely, so it is just around the corner.”
