Jamie Stephenson hasseen first-hand what modern genetic science can do for a family.When her sonDavid was 2 years old,a pediatrician noticed signs of mental retardation

and developmentaldelays.A lab test confirmed the diagnosis,and(46)__________.When David was 6,hevisited a neurologist,who scribbled"hereditary mental retardation"on

an insurance-companyclaim form. The company responded promptly by canceling coverage for the entirefamily of six. There is no medical treatment for his mental

retardation,and noneof David's siblings had been diagnosed with the condition."The companydidn't care,"Stephenson says."( 47)________"

No one would arguethat genetic tests are worthless.Used properly,(48)________.Prospective parentswho discover they're silent carriers of the gene for a disease like Tay-

Sachs,which causesdeath by the age of 3,can make better-informed decisions about whether and howto have kids. Some genetic maladies can be managed through

medication andlifestyle changes once they're identifled.And while knowing that you're atspecial risk for cancer may be an emotional burden,it can also alert you to theneed

for intensivemonitoring.

The federalgovernment is now taking steps to make genetic information less threatening. Arecently enacted health insurance act bars insurers from treating genetic

mutationsas"pre-existing conditions"unless they are causing illness.The actalso guarantees coverage to anyone leaving one group plan for another,whateverhis pre-existing

conditions.That willmake switching jobs easier for many people,but ethicists say the act is only afirst step.(49)_________.

Lawmakers are nowracing to strengthen the protections.(50)______,and Congress will considerseveral bills in the new session.The insurance industry argues that it should

be free to chargepeople rates that reflect their risks,at least when dealing with individualsand small compames.But most ethicists contend that where health coverage is

concerned,peopleshouldn't be penal-ized for risks they can't modify.

Discrimination isn'tthe only potential downside to genetic testing. Some of the new susceptibilitytests can only vaguely predict illness and no one forces the companies that

offer them tocounsel patients about what the results actually mean.Even when the tests aresound and the results secure, the knowledge they create can dash hopes anddivide

families.________（48）

A.they can givepeople unprecedented power over their lives

B.the Stephensonsspent several years learning to live with it

C.People fromhigh-risk families have come to fear tests almost as much as the disease

D.They just saw apositive genetic test and said,"You're out"

E.Because it coversonly group plans and doesn't deal with disability insurance