1. The Effects of Predictive Genetic Testing on the Insurance Industry
Chris Welter
Antioch College
One Morgan Place, Yellow Springs Ohio 45387

2. Background Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)technology
Ethical debate in the 1990’s
My experience in the insurance industry

3. WHy should my study be done?
80-90% predictability rate for Colon Cancer
No knowledge of psychological effects
No study of effect on risk-based insurance industry

4. Methods: Psychological TEsting
Prior to Genetic testing, Participants will be screened for anxiety, depression, and general and situational distress (Michie, 2001)
Carriers and non-carriers of the colon cancer gene will be screened again after they have received their results

5. Methods: Risk Assessment
I will Utilize polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to generate copies of participant’s genes (Orita et al., 1989)
Denaturation - Heated to 94℃ which results in the melting or separation of the double stranded DNA template into two single stranded molecules
Annealing - The oligonucleotide primers anneal to or find their complementary sequences on the two single-stranded template strands of DNA. These act as primers for taq polymerase. All of this is done at 60℃
Extension - Taq polymerase adds the nucleotides to make a complementary copy of the DNA template. This is done at 72℃

6. I will look for mutated MSH2, MLH1, and MSH6 genes

7. Anticipated Results
Cancer gene carriers will not qualify for insurance coverage, or have extremely high premiums
Also, those gene carriers will have increased anxiety, depression, and general and situational distress--Contrary to the findings of (Broadstock et al., 2000)

8. Conclusion
2 year process
- $25,000 budget

9. Questions?

10. Acknowledgements
Justin Wilson and Philip Crawford from Symmetry Financial Group
Brian Kot, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Biology