Buying the 23andme kit several years ago was the best $99 I ever spent. I originally did it for the ancestry information which I found very interesting. But I have to say I was blown away by the health information. The information is simply presented perfectly.
As for most people, it wasn't all good news but it gave me a roadmap to prepare or prevent things I am genetically predisposed to.
I really want to do it, but it is really hard to believe they can guarantee the safety of the data. What if they get hacked or forced to give the data to one of the three letter agencies? It would be nice if they offer to completely destroy the results once it is sent to the customer.
I did 23andme and then talked my dad and uncle into doing it. Found out a lot of "obvious" stuff we were genetically predisposed to, but it was nice to finally have scientific proof. Like you said, it makes it easier to prepare if/when certain events happen.
My grandmother (their mother) had passed away a year before we did the tests. A majority of her health issues she had we are genetically predisposed to.
The price was $99 with health reports before plus a $20 discount on each person after the first. Also, now they monetize our DNA data as well [0].
It looks like best strategy now is to use AncestryDNA ($99) [1] and then run Promethease for $5 or for free [2] to get what 23andMe gives you plus a lot more!
As for most people, it wasn't all good news but it gave me a roadmap to prepare or prevent things I am genetically predisposed to.