【文章预读】

Asymmetry of information—when the customer knows more than the insurer—is the industry’s nightmare. If predictive tests further improve and become more common while non-disclosure rules stay in place, some insurance products might eventually die out. Either insurers would go belly-up, or premiums would become prohibitively expensive. Hence, argue some insurers, if the customer knows something relevant about their health, so should the insurer.
But tests might also help insurers. ChristophNabholz, from Swiss Re, a reinsurance giant, is most excited about tests that spot early signs of cancer or cardiovascular disease. For life and health insurers, who want to keep people alive and well, such information could be invaluable. Discovery, a South African health insurer, plans to offer customers a test that maps part of their genome. The focus is on “actionable data”, where medical intervention or lifestyle change could mitigate risk, explains Jonathan Broomberg from Discovery.
This might help people who are already insured. But it worries those seeking new policies, who fear that underwriters may use predictive information to discriminate. Some might lose access to insurance. This raises ethical questions about when, if ever, genetic discrimination is acceptable. Moreover, since the relative role that genes play in the development of diseases is still being studied, some people might be unfairly and wrongly penalized.


【文章精讲】

Asymmetry of information—when the customer knows more than the insurer—is the industry’s nightmare. If predictive tests further improve and become more common while non-disclosure rules stay in place, some insurance products might eventually die out. Either insurers would go belly-up, or premiums would become prohibitively expensive. Hence, argue some insurers, if the customer knows something relevant about their health, so should the insurer.

asymmetry n.不对称
- asymmetrical adj.不对称的
- symmetrical adj.对称的
nightmare n.噩梦
die out 灭亡
go belly-up 破产
premiums n.保险费
prohibitively adv.禁止地
- prohibit v.禁止
hence adv.因此

But tests might also help insurers. ChristophNabholz, from Swiss Re, a reinsurance giant, is most excited about tests that spot early signs of cancer or cardiovascular disease. For life and health insurers, who want to keep people alive and well, such information could be invaluable. Discovery, a South African health insurer, plans to offer customers a test that maps part of their genome. The focus is on “actionable data”, where medical intervention or lifestyle change could mitigate risk, explains Jonathan Broomberg from Discovery.

reinsurance n.再保险（分担原保险公司风险）
spot v.发现
cardiovascular adj.心血管的
invaluable adj.宝贵的
map v.描绘
genome n.基因组
mitigate v.减轻
- Mitigate the influence of a disaster.

This might help people who are already insured. But it worries those seeking new policies, who fear that underwriters may use predictive information to discriminate. Some might lose access to insurance. This raises ethical questions about when, if ever, genetic discrimination is acceptable. Moreover, since the relative role that genes play in the development of diseases is still being studied, some people might be unfairly and wrongly penalized.

underwriter n.保险公司
discriminate v.歧视
- discrimination n.歧视
ethical adj.道德的
penalize v.惩罚


【推荐句式表达】

1.stay in place
2.eventually die out
3.go belly-up
4.lose access to …