Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) passed in the House and Senate and was signed into law on May 21, 2008 by President Bush. This bill makes it illegal for health insurers to deny coverage or charge a higher rate or premium to an otherwise healthy individual found to have a potential genetic condition or genetic predisposition towards a disease or disorder. GINA also makes it illegal for employers to use an employee's genetic information when making hiring, firing, placement, or promotion decisions.
According to Jan Petersen, Chair of the Alpha-1 Association, "the fact that the GINA legislation has been adopted has caused a major shift in the mindset of Washington and hopefully the country. Undoubtedly genetic discrimination will be viewed differently from this point on in our history. However, there are potential issues and concerns that will have to be addressed as this bill passes into law in 18 months. It will subject it to court challenge at some point on some aspect and that is the process that will clarify the protections of this Act. GINA is a good thing, it is a reason to celebrate, but we also need to be cautious as we move forward and seek to utilize this tool that has now been given not just to our community, but to the thousands of other rare disorder communities in the nation."
The following links will help you learn more about what GINA means and how it affects you.
Coalition for Genetic Fairness
