Justice, insurance, and biomarkers of aging.
Insurers will want to use biomarkers of aging to decide whom to insure and how much to charge. If insurers are allowed to use biomarker information, then people whose biomarkers indicate shorter or more afflicted lives will find insurance harder to get and more expensive, while the longer-lived and less afflicted will find it cheaper and easier to get. If insurers are forbidden to use such information, then these two groups will be in a more equal position with regards to insurance-as they are now, in the absence of such information. Does society have a moral responsibility to address such natural inequalities? If so, then insurers should be forbidden to use such information. I will discuss arguments on both sides of this issue, and argue that justice requires preventing insurers from obtaining and using biomarker information.
Davis
John K
JK
Department of Philosophy, California State University, Fullerton, 92834-6868, USA. johndavis@fullerton.edu
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D015415:Biomarkers; D003219:Confidentiality / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000941:ethics*; D011287:Prejudice; D012935:Social Justice
D015415:Biomarkers