Finance and Business

Washington likes acronyms when it comes to lawmaking and this new law is no exception. This is the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) and this November sees it finally come into force. Because it affects both employers and the insurance industry, this has been a hard-fought change and was only signed into law last year. Now it should prevent you from obvious discrimination. Sadly, it does not rule out discrimination by backdoor means. If an employer overhears you talking at the water cooler or routinely surveys local news including the obituaries, it is legal to use this information. But, overall, you should find some improvement. It covers two different situations with the same type of result. Firstly, it prohibits employers from asking you to go through a genetic test or making genetic information the basis of deciding whether to hire, promote or fire you. Secondly, it prohibits insurers from testing or demanding genetic information about you or your family in deciding whether to offer you coverage, in setting the premium rate and level of the deductible, or continue the cover.

Let’s be completely clear. The law does not care who is asking for the information If it is going to be used for either purpose, the asking is unlawful. If this happens to you in an interview, it may pose a dilemma. If you cite the law and refuse to answer, the interviewer may think you a troublemaker with something to hide and not hire you. That you can complain to the local Department of Labor and take satisfaction in seeing a civil penalty imposed, this does not replace the offer of employment in these difficult economic times. The temptation to answer will be strong. But when it comes to insurance companies, you must stand up and assert your rights. If the insurer persists, report to your state’s Department of Insurance. This will put the insurers at risk of losing their license to sell policies in your state. This is a big stick to wave in defense of your rights. More importantly, the Department can order the insurers to offer you insurance on regular terms which protects you. Once employed, it’s just as important to stay alert. The operators of group health plans are known to offer incentives like lower premiums to employees who answer a questionnaire including questions about their family medical history. Obviously, insurers want to know if there is a risk of serious diseases like cancer. You might be more at risk if there is a history of cancer in your family. Everyone should refuse to answer. Read the rest of this entry »

The modern Western society is at war, which influences and affects virtually all domains of life and forces people to reconsider traditions, judgments and practices. This is the war of sexes. And if some domains women are left by men behind, when it comes to insuring one’s life, the strong sex is clearly losing it, with women going far ahead. But why is that really so?

Back in February, the Society of Actuaries has conducted a study concluding that high amounts of testosterone (i.e. the male hormone) lead to more harmful effects on health and behavior, not to mention the overall risk-taking property of this substance, which makes men more prone to undertaking hazardous activities than women. Higher blood pressure and lower immune system activity is the cause of the substantial difference in mortality rates and serious health issues, which are most obvious at the age of 22, when men have the highest amounts of the hormone in their blood.

For a long time the common belief was that women live longer because they are not subjected to serious stress and hazards, traditionally working at home. But with the modern tendencies of women undertaking tasks that are traditionally done by men, researchers have observed that women who are making part of the working force actually have a longer duration of life even compared to those who stay at home. Read the rest of this entry »