You might have caught the article in the Sunday New York Times or today’s segments on CNN highlighting a serious form of discrimination, the improper use of genetic information by a person’s employer or insurer. The article in the Times and the pieces of cable news each referenced legislation that I authored, H.R. 493, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). GINA prohibits insurers and employers from discriminating based solely on a person’s genetic information. I first introduced a bill to protect a person’s genetic information 13 years ago. GINA would prohibit health insurers from denying coverage or charging higher premiums to a healthy individual because of a genetic predisposition to develop a disease in the future. It also bars employers from using genetic information for hiring, firing, job placement, or promotion decisions. This is incredibly important because no one is born with perfect genes. Therefore, genetic discrimination is something that affects every single person on the planet. Only with comprehensive federal legislation will we be able to deter further discrimination, encourage people to participate in genetic testing and research, and reduce long-term health costs. GINA does more than stamp out a relatively new form of discrimination. […]