Government Healthcare Policy, Business and Technology

House GOP bill would let employers require genetic tests

Healthcare IT News: Under a little-noticed bill that moved through the House Education and Workforce committee on March 8, employers would be able to require employees to submit genetic testing results as part of a wellness program or risk paying a major penalty.

Existing federal laws protect genetic privacy and nondiscrimination from employers, such as the 2008 genetic privacy and nondiscrimination law called GINA. The HR1313 bill, on the other hand, would give employers a loophole around these barriers, stating GINA and other protections don’t apply when genetic tests are part of a work wellness program.

All 22 republicans on the Education and Workforce committee supported the bill, while all 17 democrats were opposed. The bill has been overshadowed by the repeal and replace bill, the American Health Care Act.

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