Should States have the final say On Genetic Testing?

This is indeed one controversial subject. What is potentially behind all of this is that we don't have physicians linked in here. When you stop and give this some thought, who do you want discussing your healthcare with you, your family practice doctor most of us would probably say, but what if your physician doesn't have the knowledge, where do you go then? It comes down to a matter of trust. Sure, you can go to the web and do your research and when this occurs, where does the trust and confidence go? Good question.

Do we have an government that is in tune with where the technology is going, well I don't believe so, or perhaps not blanketed enough to where they can understand the potential implications here. Why require a prescription from a doctor who may not know the full story? On the other hand, is this an action to stall the progression until both the medical community and consumers are educated to where the information given will be helpful? One thing odd I find that is if one is arrested, you DNA is up for grabs pretty much, so again if technology is being used to solve crimes, why do we back peddle it for the interests of better healthcare? Are we pro-active or re-active?

Everybody is in control here, yet nobody is in control. Part of the issue is the overall community not being well read. I try to encourage people to take 10 minutes a day to read, other folks in other countries do this and even learn how to speak English via the Internet, so what's up with society here in the US, do we not like to read? In the world we live in today, ignorance is no longer bliss by any means. BD

On June 9 California sent letters to 13 genetic-testing companies ordering them to "cease and desist performing genetic testing without licensure or physician order." Some of the companies have since stopped offering direct-to-consumer tests to Californians, while others insist that they are already in compliance with the law and continue to operate in the state. New York State similarly warned companies this spring that they need licenses to accept DNA samples from the state's residents.

California State Actions Point To Need For Federal Leadership On Genetic Testing