Need for federal protection against genetic discrimination

ACP monograph includes 6 policy positions

Washington — A policy monograph highlighting the need for federal protections against genetic discrimination in employment and insurance practices was released today by the American College of Physicians (ACP). The six policy positions ACP believes should be included in the federal protections are the focus of the policy paper. http://www.acponline.org/advocacy/where_we_stand/policy/index.html.

“While they’re not quite there, Congress does continue to move closer to passing federal legislation that protects the use of genetic information in employment and insurance coverage decisions,” noted David C. Dale, MD, FACP president of the 125,000 member ACP. “This monograph is important for the ongoing discussion.”

ACP’s first two positions consider insurance providers:

Position 1: Insurance providers should be prohibited from using an individual’s genetic information to deny or limit health coverage or establish eligibility, enrollment, or premium contribution requirements.

Position 2: Insurance providers should be prohibited from establishing differential premiums based on an individual’s genetic information or request for genetic screening.

ACP’s policy positions result from a March 2007 survey conducted by the John Hopkins Genetics and Public Policy Center. It found that 86 percent of patients trust their physicians and 66 percent of patients trust genetic researchers with access to their genetic information. However, most people do not trust health insurers and employers not to misuse their genetic information through disclosure or discriminatory practices- should they have access to it.