Senate Passes Genetic NonDiscrimination Act

The April 25, 2008 U.S. News has an excellent article entitled New 'GINA' Law Would Stop Genetic Discrimination which summarizes the Genetic NonDiscrimination Act which was just passed by the U.S. Senate. Remarkably, this Bill has been around for 13 years and still has not been enacted into law. If enacted, this law would provide that anyone who gets genetic screening tests will be protected from having that information shared with health insurers or employers. As the article states:

In the works for 13 years, GINA got stalled along the way by a few obstinate lawmakers, as my colleague Dr. Bernadine Healy, U.S. News health editor, pointed out in this column. So consumer health advocates are greeting yesterday's news with a huge sigh of relief. "It's an extraordinary step forward and essential if we ever want to see the potential of genetic research," says Debra Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families, a nonprofit advocacy group that has been lobbying for GINA's passage. "There are people afraid to enter research studies or get genetic testing, and we hope this legislation will alleviate those fears."

The law will: (a) prohibit the use of genetic information to deny employment or insurance coverage; (b) ensure that genetic test results are kept private; and (c) prevent an insurer from basing eligibility or premiums on genetic information. Specifically, it will prevent genetic discrimination cases . . .

Mitchell H. Rubinstein