Legal update: living with the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 promises to make genetic discrimination illegal in the contexts of employment and health insurance. The promises of the law may be difficult to fully deliver. This article will examine some of the more important provisions that offer protection against genetic discrimination and the major shortcomings of the legislation. It concludes that the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act is an important piece of civil rights legislation, but it is not fully protective of individuals who are worried about genetic discrimination in employment or insurance.
Erwin
Cheryl
C
John P. McGovern, MD Center for Health, Humanities, and the Human Spirit, Department of Family Medicine, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. cheryl.erwin@uth.tmc.edu
D003219:Confidentiality / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D004651:Employment; D030661:Genetic Privacy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006806:Human Rights / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D015273:Insurance Selection Bias; D007603:Jurisprudence