In recent weeks, sweeping legal changes have helped put control of your genetic information where it belongs – in your hands.
The federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, or GINA, is now the law of the land. The law, described by the New York Times as the “most important new anti-discrimination law in two decades,” prohibits genetic discrimination in health insurance or on the job.
When it comes to understanding your genetic makeup and using that knowledge to benefit your health, few laws matter more than this one.
In the area of health insurance, GINA bars health insurers from requiring genetic testing or using genetic information to deny health coverage or to set premiums or deductibles. This prohibition applies to insurance plans of any size, whether they cover a large group or a single individual.
On the job, GINA prohibits employers from requesting genetic testing of prospective or current employees or considering an employee’s genetic makeup in hiring, firing, or promotion decisions.
GINA took more than a decade to push through the halls of Washington, D.C., and those who brought the law to life have called it the “first civil rights bill of the new century.” At Navigenics, we’ve fully supported GINA, which adds an important layer of protection to the significant privacy and security safeguards we have in place around our genetic testing service.
We know that privacy and confidentiality are of paramount important in genetic testing, and hear questions about these topics often. Our service is centered on the premise that your genetic information belongs to you. To learn more, please visit the policy section of our website, or contact a Member Service representative .