In the US GINA bans health insurance companies from using genetic data for determining premiums or eligibility.
If it were legal you wouldn't have to worry about insurance companies mining genetic databases, it wouldn't matter, they'd simply demand a DNA sample in order to be insured.
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) of 2008 already forbids them from doing anything.
>GINA prohibits health insurers from discrimination based on the genetic information of enrollees. Specifically, health insurers may not use genetic information to determine if someone is eligible for insurance or to make coverage, underwriting or premium-setting decisions.
GINA law already prevents insurance companies from acting on this data.
It seems unlikely that this sort of genetic data is really a risk. To test that, I had my genome sequenced and published it with a reasonable license. Anybody is free to download my data.
>GINA prohibits health insurers from discrimination based on the genetic information of enrollees. Specifically, health insurers may not use genetic information to determine if someone is eligible for insurance or to make coverage, underwriting or premium-setting decisions. Furthermore, health insurers may not request or require individuals or their family members to undergo genetic testing or to provide genetic information.
And if GINA was repealed, (and it wouldn't be, it was passed the House 420-3 a and passed the Senate 95-0), the insurance companies aren't going to beat around the bush and try to hack 23andMe, they'd just demand DNA samples directly as a requirement of being insured.
By US law (GINA, passed in 2008), health insurance companies and employers are barred from discriminating on the basis of genetic results. Life insurance companies are allowed to, as is housing and schooling, interestingly enough.
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) specifically prohibits health insurance companies from denying coverage or setting rates based on such tests.
First off it's illegal for them to use genetic information in health insurance decisions in the US.
If it were legal and they did want to do it then why would they need to buy 23andMe to accomplish this? Instead they'd just refuse to insure you without you providing a sample of your DNA.
“Passed in 2008, a federal law called the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) made it illegal for health insurance providers in the United States to use genetic information in decisions about a person's health insurance eligibility or coverage.”
Also prevents employment discrimination based on genetics.
it's illegal for health insurers to discriminate using genetic information: https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/policy-issues/Genetic-... ("Specifically, health insurers may not use genetic information to make eligibility, coverage, underwriting or premium-setting decisions").
No. The US Congress already passed a Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act in 2008 that makes it illegal for insurance companies to do this. They won't take your genetic data even if you offer it to them.
If it were legal you wouldn't have to worry about insurance companies mining genetic databases, it wouldn't matter, they'd simply demand a DNA sample in order to be insured.
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