A bill will start to allow companies to ask employees to submit genetic testing results

ByUniversity of Michigan School of Natural Resources & Environment

The existence of genetic testing became familiar, and nowTo investigate the risk of developing 150 kinds of diseases and 130 kinds of constitution at 29,800 yenKits etc are also appearing. In the meantime, it was reported that the American House Committee approved a bill to allow companies to ask genetics examiners to submit test results.

House GOP would let employers demand workers' genetic test results
https://www.statnews.com/2017/03/10/workplace-wellness-genetic-testing/


H. R.1313 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1313

Employers could demand genetic testing under congressional bill
http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/10/employers-could-demand-genetic-testing-under-congressional-bill.html

New bill than let companies force workers to get genetic tests, share results | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/03/companies-want-employees-genetic-info-new-bill-lets-them-take-it-by-force/

"H. R 1313 - Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act"Was granted by the House Committee on March 8, 2017. The Republican vote was 22 votes and the opposition by the Democratic Party was 17 votes. Jennifer Mathis of Zellon Mental Health Law Center tells the news media's STAT, "This bill completely removes the protection of existing legislation."

In the United States, the Genetic Information Discrimination Act (GINA) was established at the federal level in 2008, discrimination on health insurance based on genetic information and discrimination by employers was prohibited. In principle, GINA prohibits employers and family members from requesting genetic tests on their owners and families in principle, but the new bill has been pointed out that GINA will be totally meaningless.

The provision of GINA is "(PDF file)principle"Is because it excludes cases where employees voluntarily offer or require genetic testing in the wellness system. The wellness system is primarily intended to conduct medical examinations to encourage employees 'health and to promote employees' smoking cessation. In the new bill, employers who provide a wellness system, as part of that , It will be possible for employees to ask for genetic testing. And the insurance premium of an employee who refused genetic testing becomes higher than the insurance premium of the inspected employee and it is actually like a fine.

Whether or not to join the wellness system is freedom of employees, but due to the Obama-based system, the employer has to offer employees who do not use the wellness system a premium of 30 employees who are subscribed to the wellness system It is possible to set health insurance fee of ~ 50% increase. In other words, when the new bill is enforced, although it is optional, it is necessary to join the wellness system in order to lower the premium, and if you join the wellness system you may be asked for genetic testing, possibility There is.


Virginia Fox, chairman of the House Education and Labor Force Committee, supports the new bill. Committee spokesman said, "People who oppose the bill deny employees to participate in any program promoting the choice of people's healthy lifestyle by lowering premiums, disseminate the wrong information "We believe that family members should gain power through this selection, and the Obama administration also said that."

Meanwhile, according to the spokesperson, the American Human Genetics Society and others discuss about the legal interpretation that "it is necessary to let employees participate in the wellness system in order to ask employees to submit the results of genetic testing" under the current law It is said that. In GINA and Obama care there is a part where the regulations concerning the wellness system are not harmonized, and employers say that there is a need to change the regulations.