News-Letter

A new study from the School of Public Health and the Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics indicates that individuals with a number of genetic disorders might be less likely to receive health insurance.

Researchers surveyed 597 adults between the ages of 18 and 64. Some of the adults had cystic fibrosis or sickle-cell anemia, two relatively common genetic disorders. The control group had chronic diseases such as breast cancer, diabetes or HIV.

Individuals with one of the two genetic disorders reported being denied health insurance coverage twice as often as those without genetic disorders. They were also more likely to report being offered health insurance at prohibitive rates or with only limited coverage.

The survey is prone to bias because the results were self-reported. Nevertheless, it is likely that the researchers have uncovered a systemic bias in the health insurance industry against individuals with genetic illness.

The study is thought to be the first to look at access to health insurance on the basis of genetics. It was led by Nancy Kass of the School of Public Health and the Berman Institute. The findings appear in the Feb. 2007 issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics.

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