Julian Ziegler

Home Institution
Freie Universität Berlin

Host Institution(s)
College of Law, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Research Mentor: Robert F. Rich, PhD

E-Mail:
 julianziegler@hotmail.com

Research Topic
see Abstract
Personal Reactions to the U.S. Experience
I got my first impression of the middle west, while I was still in the plane. I could look out of the window, but everything I could see were farms next to farms stretching beyond the horizon. But when I finally settled down after a week or two, I discovered that I actually was living in a nice little city bustling with activity, instead of a sleepy farmer village. Especially the university area was incompareable to anything I had ever seen before. When I entered the college of law for the first time, I was impressed by a luxurious entrance hall, a beautiful library and modern, comfortable lecture rooms, which made me understand the principal differences between German and American universities. In addition, the administrative staff, as well as all faculty members, were glad to help me with any questions I could come up with. The only downside is that pedestrians, like myself, have to rely on a poorly developed mass transit system, as all Americans seem to own at least one car.
Greatest Difficulties Encountered
As I already said, the greatest difficulty I encountered was the unreliable mass transit system in Champaign. As there was no bus coverage between my house and the college after 6 P..M., I found myself walking the 45 minute distance more than once, which was especially annoying during the extremely cold winter months.
Most humorous incident
During my time here in Champaign, I witnessed an outstanding rather than humorous incident. While I was at home one evening, I heard someone knocking at my neighbors door, followed by a shouted, "Police! Search warrant, open the door!" A second later - before anyone could have opened that door anyway - the door was forced open and seven heavily armed SWAT-team members of the local police stormed the building. I was flabbergasted! It seemed, that my neighbor did have a little side-earning going on next door.

Helpful Hints for Future Students

  • Contact other BMEP students. They might be able to give you some helpful hints about your trip.
  • Before your trip starts, always check the website of the United States embassy to make sure visa-regulations didn't change.
  • Get yourself a credit card.
  • Always be nice to secretaries, because they make your life so much easier.

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Abstract on Research Topic

Federal laws relating to genetic discrimination through the use of genetic testing and genetic information in the business of health insurance
Author:
Julian Ziegler
Institution:
College of Law, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Purpose:
With the uncovering of more and more diseases associated to genetic polymorphisms and the rising amount of tests available for the detection of such polymorphisms, predictive genetic testing becomes increasingly interesting for health insurance companies.
The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate the possibility of health insurance issuers offering health insurance coverage in the group and individual market of health insurance, to use genetic testing and information derived from such tests in order to determine the eligibility of individuals to enroll in policies and to calculate or adjust premium rates of individuals for a policy.
Methods:
Currently there are two federal statutes that deal with the issue of predictive genetic testing and the information derived from such tests, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2003 (GINA). Both statues were analysed according to how their provisions affect the possibilities of health insurance issuers to use genetic testing and genetic information in the group and individual market of health insurance in the United States. In addition, the HIPAA regulations were used to clarify certain findings.
Results:
In the group market, health insurance coverage is usually provided through employment. The analysis so far shows, that in the group market, neither the premium amounts of group members may be altered because of genetic information concerning an individual in the group, nor may an individual in the group be charged a higher premium than the other group members because of genetic information concerning that individual. In the individual market, HIPAA provides for guaranteed access to and renewability of health insurance coverage, thus automatically prohibiting the use of genetic testing as a condition for enrollment. GINA fills a gap left by HIPAA concerning the possibility of adjustable premium amounts, by prohibiting the use of genetic tests or genetic information as a basis for premium calculation or premium adjustments. GINA also prohibits health insurance issuers from requesting an individual to undergo a genetic test.
Conclusion:
As the results show, health insurance issuers both in the individual and group market are prohibited from using genetic testing or genetic information in any means economically useful in the business of health insurance.