Genetic and Nongenetic Medical Information: Is there a Moral Difference in the Context of Insurance?

This chapter begins with an exploration of the concept of strong genetic exceptionalism. It considers several arguments about why genetic information is inherently distinguishable from all other medical information. Genetic information may be more frequently other-regarding than non-genetic medical information or contribute to its being, exceptional in the strong sense. The claim that genetic test information is more predictive than other medical information becomes less convincing. Weak genetic exceptionalism claims that there may be something morally special about the use of genetic test information for certain practical purposes, especially for insurance underwriting. The chapter explores the weaker claim that genetic test information is sufficiently exceptional with regard to its use for insurance purposes that it deserves special protection. It shows that there are good solidarity-based reasons for regarding insurance discrimination on the basis of genetic test information as morally unacceptable.