Changes to the Employers' Use of Genetic Information and Non-discrimination for Health Insurance in the USA: Implications for Australians.

Bilkey GA1, Baynam G2,3,4,5,6,7,8, Molster C4.

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Abstract

In the USA, a bill has been introduced to the senate that may jeopardize an individual's rights to privacy and non-discrimination. This piece examines the proposed Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act (PEWPA), and implications this will have on the use of genetic information. The Act allows for employers to apply financial penalties for health insurance based on genetic information, which raises concerns as the capacity to interpret genetic results is limited by knowledge of the significance of both benign and pathogenic variants. In Australia, genetic information can only be used to determine life insurance, not to stratify health insurance, and any precedent set internationally should raise concerns of the potential for change on the horizon.