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Policy Archive
Successful Effort
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)
In 2008, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) was passed to protect individuals from genetic discrimination in health care and employment. GINA was the result of a 13-year effort spearheaded by the Coalition for Genetic Fairness (CGF). FORCE was an active member of this coalition beginning in 1999, the year FORCE was established.
Designed to prohibit the use of genetic information in health insurance and employment., GINA prohibits group health plans and insurers from denying coverage to a healthy individual or charging that person higher premiums based solely on a genetic predisposition to developing a disease in the future. The legislation also bars employers from using individuals' genetic information when making hiring, firing, job placement, or promotion decisions. Initially, the Coalition consisted of civil rights, disease-specific, and healthcare organizations, but in 2005 the CGF expanded to include industry groups and employers, uniting more than 500 organizations and thousands of individuals as one voice against genetic discrimination.
The law currently does not protect individuals from discrimination in life, disability or long-term care insurance. For more information, visit NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute.
See our Privacy & Nondiscrimination section of our website for more extensive information about GINA and other legal protections.
News Briefs
9/25/2024 - Sent a letter to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee strongly opposing efforts to advance S. 2140, the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA), which would allow patents on abstract ideas, laws of nature, and natural phenomena.
9/9/2024 - Signed on to a comment letter encouraging coverage of computed tomography colonography (CTC) procedures and follow-up colonoscopies in the proposed Medicare and Medicaid Program 2025 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) rule.
8/2/2024 - Responded to an RFI from Representatives DeGette and Bucshon, providing input on the successes, gaps and unmet needs in the 21st Century Cures and CURES 2.0 initiatives, suggesting components for future efforts.
Related Resources
- Informational GINA flyer
- Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act website provides an introduction to the GINA law and its health insurance and employment protections. It includes answers to common questions about GINA.