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23andMe UK

23andme.com

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Re: 23andMe UK

#11

Post by iamben »

ctz wrote: post #8
iamben wrote: post #4

I absolutely love the idea of this. I just think that I'll end up in a database that, despite any promise to the contrary now, will probably end up being used against me at some point in the future (targeted marking / denying of health insurance / whatever else). Which I really don't love. And I hate to be cynical, but it strikes me that becoming the Google of genomes is ultimately going to make far, far more cash th…

> denying of health insurance All the health insurance I've ever had has had cover for pre-existing conditions, required no medical details or medical examination. As far as I can tell, insurance companies have surprisingly little interest in my health, past my age and sex. I can't see that changing so far that they pay third parties for a genetic screen in the near future.

Just from (UK) insurer Aviva's health insurance policy:

"We don’t cover treatment of pre-existing conditions or related conditions if you had symptoms of, medication for, treatment for or advice about that condition in the five years before your joining date."

It wouldn't take much for companies to start requiring that you disclose the knowledge you're at (high?) risk of something and adjusting their prices accordingly - particularly in long term policies.

Edit: I probably should have said life insurance. Health insurance isn't (entirely) necessary in the UK thanks to the NHS. But imagine the premiums on a life insurance policy if they knew you had a high certainty of something difficult or incurable?

Re: 23andMe UK

#12

Post by TheAnimus »

iamben wrote: post #4

I absolutely love the idea of this. I just think that I'll end up in a database that, despite any promise to the contrary now, will probably end up being used against me at some point in the future (targeted marking / denying of health insurance / whatever else). Which I really don't love. And I hate to be cynical, but it strikes me that becoming the Google of genomes is ultimately going to make far, far more cash th…

> Don't be evil, and all that.

Does anyone still believe that? I remember when they still had separation between GMail and Searches / Analytics.

Re: 23andMe UK

#13

Post by iamben »

Luc wrote: post #10
iamben wrote: post #4

I absolutely love the idea of this. I just think that I'll end up in a database that, despite any promise to the contrary now, will probably end up being used against me at some point in the future (targeted marking / denying of health insurance / whatever else). Which I really don't love. And I hate to be cynical, but it strikes me that becoming the Google of genomes is ultimately going to make far, far more cash th…

No one stops you from entering a fake name. At least they didn't when I ordered some kits a couple of years ago.

I suppose I'd be more interested if you could buy the kit from a supermarket, and each kit had a unique code and password you could enter online to check for your results. So once the sample is posted, the only thing that connects it to me (without a probably unfeasible amount of detective work) would be my IP address. (And my DNA, obviously...)

Re: 23andMe UK

#14

Post by iamben »

TheAnimus wrote: post #12
iamben wrote: post #4

I absolutely love the idea of this. I just think that I'll end up in a database that, despite any promise to the contrary now, will probably end up being used against me at some point in the future (targeted marking / denying of health insurance / whatever else). Which I really don't love. And I hate to be cynical, but it strikes me that becoming the Google of genomes is ultimately going to make far, far more cash th…

> Don't be evil, and all that. Does anyone still believe that? I remember when they still had separation between GMail and Searches / Analytics.

My point exactly.

Re: 23andMe UK

#15

Post by evo_9 »

Has there been any update on their Health Reports being supported again? That's the killer feature that I'm waiting for them to turn back on.

Re: 23andMe UK

#17

Post by alan82 »

When this will be available in the rest of EU countries? Do they have to register the service in each country separately?

Re: 23andMe UK

#18

Post by jebus989 »

thebiglebrewski wrote: post #2

If I'm in the US, is there any way to proxy into my full health results?

Of course, they're just calling SNPs and using published GWAS studies to estimate disease risk. You can get your "raw genome" text file from 23andMe and convert to e.g. VCF format for use in a bioinformatics tool like the variant effect predictor.

Besides, really the most interesting health-related alleles are the simplest: ApoE, BRCA1 — no complicated algo is needed to interpret those associations.

Re: 23andMe UK

#19

Post by aroch »

iamben wrote: post #11
ctz wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> denying of health insurance All the health insurance I've ever had has had cover for pre-existing conditions, required no medical details or medical examination. As far as I can tell, insurance companies have surprisingly little interest in my health, past my age and sex. I can't see that changing so far that they pay third parties for a genetic screen in the near future.

Just from (UK) insurer Aviva's health insurance policy: "We don’t cover treatment of pre-existing conditions or related conditions if you had symptoms of, medication for, treatment for or advice about that condition in the five years before your joining date." It wouldn't take much for companies to start requiring that you disclose the knowledge you're at (high?) risk of something and adjusting their prices according…

23andME technically offer no medical advice, but I wouldn't be surprised if insurers don't care about that technicality

Re: 23andMe UK

#20

Post by jebus989 »

iamben wrote: post #11
ctz wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> denying of health insurance All the health insurance I've ever had has had cover for pre-existing conditions, required no medical details or medical examination. As far as I can tell, insurance companies have surprisingly little interest in my health, past my age and sex. I can't see that changing so far that they pay third parties for a genetic screen in the near future.

Just from (UK) insurer Aviva's health insurance policy: "We don’t cover treatment of pre-existing conditions or related conditions if you had symptoms of, medication for, treatment for or advice about that condition in the five years before your joining date." It wouldn't take much for companies to start requiring that you disclose the knowledge you're at (high?) risk of something and adjusting their prices according…

> It wouldn't take much for companies to start requiring that you disclose the knowledge you're at (high?) risk of something and adjusting their prices accordingly - particularly in long term policies.

That's what insurance is though, right? You pay a premium over time relative to their payout risk. If you have heightened risk of serious disease you're not entitled to the same premium as someone with considerably lower risk.

Regardless, other than a couple of exceptions the genetics of complex diseases wouldn't be of much interest to health insurers. A SNP with a tiny effect size associated with type 2 diabetes gives less risk information than taking a look at a person's waistline.

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