Last week, the House and the Senate both passed a bill, H.R. 493/S. 358 (the “Bill”), that prohibits discrimination based on genetic testing results. The Bill prohibits health plans and insurers from determining an applicant’s eligibility or increasing an insured’s premiums based on genetic information. Under the Bill, health plans and insurers cannot request, require or purchase the results from genetic testing. The Bill also prohibits employers from basing decisions such as termination, refusing to hire and compensation decisions based on genetic information.
Although the Bill has been passed by both the House and the Senate, it has not yet been taken to President Bush for signature. We will continue to monitor this legislation and provide further updates at InsureReinsure.com.
