House Passes Historic Medical Nondiscrimination Act

Press Release

House Passes Historic Medical Nondiscrimination Act

Baldwin Says it Benefits Patients and Research

By an overwhelming vote (414-1), the House of Representatives today passed H.R. 493, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. This landmark bill, which would prohibit health insurance companies and employers from discriminating against people on the basis of genetic test results, now goes to the President who is expected to sign it.

Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) said she was proud to support legislation that will provide strong protections to prevent employers and insurers from denying health coverage or job opportunities to people on the basis of predictive genetic information.

"Congress is responsible for making sure that our laws keep up with scientific advancements, so that we can fully realize the value of these discoveries. This bill not only will ensure that Americans are not unfairly penalized, either by health insurers or by employers, for something that is a part of their genetic makeup, but it will encourage individuals to participate in genetic research, which will lead to new technologies and new therapies," Baldwin said.

Source