Senate Panel Passes Bill To Ban Genetic Discrimination

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Senate Panel Passes Bill To Ban Genetic Discrimination

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=62125

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on

Wednesday voted 19-2 to approve a bill (S 358) under which employers

and health insurers could not discriminate against U.S. residents

based on the results of genetic tests, CongressDaily reports (Lee,

CongressDaily, 2/1).

Under the legislation, employers could make decisions about whether

to hire potential employees or fire or promote employees based on

the results of genetic tests. In addition, health insurers could not

deny coverage to potential members or charge higher premiums to

members based on the results of genetic tests.

The House Education and Labor Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions

Subcommittee on Tuesday held a hearing on a similar bill (HR 493)

(Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 1/31). The Senate approved

similar bills in 2003 and 2005, but the legislation did not pass in

the House.

According to CongressDaily, the bill likely will pass in Congress

this year, and President Bush likely will sign the legislation

(CongressDaily, 2/1).

Comments

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), who sponsored the Senate bill, said

that the legislation would ensure that residents who take genetic

tests for hereditary diseases do not have the results used against

them (Wayne, CQ Today, 2/1).

However, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who voted against the bill, said

that the legislation would have " all sorts of unintended

consequences " for efforts to process health insurance claims, share

information with law enforcement agencies and maintain medical

records. He added that the bill would not protect embryos from

discrimination based on the results of genetic tests conducted

before implantation. Coburn said that he would place a hold on

legislation until his concerns are addressed.

Sen. Burr (R-N.C.) also voted against the bill

(CongressDaily, 2/1).

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce opposes the legislation because " it

seeks to not only punish employers for discrimination using genetic

information but for collecting the data in the first place, " CQ

Today reports (CQ Today, 2/1).

Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You