23andMe says "We have no use for YOUR laws"

In an age where no one trusts anyone and we see defiance of laws for the sake of profit I am still shocked and awed that companies that are formed to "Not be Evil" or to "Benefit Mankind" choose to ignore laws.


In healthcare, imagine if your doctor was found to be breaking the law. Stole from Medicare? Non-Compliance with State regulations? Spousal Abuse? Selling Drugs?



Most of these are career killers. In fact in CT we just had a large group of GI doctors who are now not doing so well because one of their partners was just charged with endangering a minor.


Why is it so vital that physicians, nurses and others in the healthcare field try to stay above the law? Because patients lose trust in the system. They begin to think that their care givers are reckless criminals. And WHO would trust their life to a criminal???



Apparently, this stream of thought doesn't even phase a company like 23andME. You see, they are blatantly breaking the law in several states. Why? They are on a mission. Destroy the current healthcare system, shatter the current ethical way that we currently practice research!


Why? They think that the cavemen currently practicing healthcare aren't in tune with their goofy Singularity!



How do we know that they don't care about the rules? 2 ways.


1.) They are actively doing research without abiding by the international "rules" for ethical research. They have no IRB and are coercing their participants by charging them money.



2.) They have said F~c& you to New York State by flaunting loopholes in their laws governing labs. In fact, NYS had asked them to destroy the samples which they had collected ILLEGALLY at a Fashion Show Spit Party.........In fact they post the loophole on their website



23andMe is currently unable to process saliva samples collected in or mailed from the state of New York. The New York Department of Health considers our Personal Genome Service a test requiring a lab license and direct physician involvement.


"If you or the recipient of the Spit Kit intends to collect your sample and mail it from outside the state of New York, please select the 'Ship to New York' button. … Upon receipt of your Spit Kit, you or the Spit Kit recipient will be required to affirm under penalty of law that the sample for the Spit Kit has not been collected in or mailed from the state of New York."


I watched the NY State presentation at the Recent SACGHS meeting. The woman seemed pretty pissed off at 23andMe's flaunting of these rules. In addition, she said that if they wanted to have any more spit parties, they could come up to Connecticut.....


But what she doesn't know, is that CT's laws are pretty clear about DTC testing as well......



IT IS NOT ALLOWED..........But that's not stopping the criminals at 23andME......



According to a 2007 survey by the Johns Hopkins University's Genetics and Public Policy Center, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey do not allow or limit DTC marketing of genetic tests and require tests to be ordered by a doctor.


23andMe offers its DTC service in these four states neighboring New York.

I guess they don't care about Connecticut's laws either..........or California's or Pennsylvania's of New Jersey's. I could go on and on here.



I have a big issue with companies looking to play doctor without going through the process of being a doctor. Or playing clinical laboratory without taking any of the responsibility of being a laboratory.


The Sherpa Says: DTC genomics companies in this current form are breaking the law and could care less. Why did I point out the insurance fraud going on at major academic centers? The same reason I warn state governments about the flagrant disrespect of these laws. You cannot effectively practice medicine when the "Chain of Trust" has been broken......