Tennessee Injury Lawyer Blog
While it sounds like something that would be an issue in a science-fiction, futuristic movie, cases involving discrimination due to genetic information are popping up across the country.
On May 21, 2008 the President signed in to law the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, also referred to as GINA. The law was written in order to protect Americans from being treated unfairly because of differences in their DNA that may affect their health. GINA prevents discrimination from both health insurers and employers.
The passing of GINA was important for everyone. Every person has numerous DNA differences that could increase or decrease their chance of getting a disease such as diabetes, cancer or heart disease. The research in DNA health can be used to help treat people. However, it can also be used to discriminate against people as well.
Recently, one of the first Genetic Information Act lawsuits was settled against a nursing home in New York. The nursing home would ask employees about their family medical history as part of its post-offer, pre-employment medical exam of all applicants. This kind of information request is illegal under GINA. The EEOC sued the nursing home on behalf of 138 individuals who had been asked for their genetic information and the nursing home settled for $110,400 to be payable to all of the individuals.
As cases have started popping up around the US based on genetic discrimination, people are starting to better understand the rights that are protected under GINA. People can have genetic tests done which could benefit their health while sleeping soundly knowing that the feedback provided by the tests is safely secure and unable to be used against them.
While this is still a relatively new law, both health insurers and employers do fall under the guidelines, as of 2009. However, the law as it is currently written does not cover life insurance, disability insurance or long-term health insurance.
If you feel that you have been discriminated against then please contact our Tennessee employment law attorneys at the Higgins Firm. We are happy to help you in any way we can.
