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Currents in Contemporary Ethics

Is GINA Worth the Wait?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2021

Mark A. Rothstein
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Extract

It has been pending in Congress for twelve years, despite the support of the last two presidential Administrations and the National Institutes of Health. It has been the subject of extensive affirmative lobbying by academic medical centers, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, genetic disease advocacy groups, and civil rights organizations. It has overcome vehement objections by employers and insurers. Its final passage, however, has been thwarted by a few Congressional leaders, who have prevented enactment despite overwhelming bipartisan support in both houses of Congress.

Based on this legislative history, one could not help but assume that the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) is a revolutionary piece of legislation that, if finally enacted, would provide extensive, effective, and comprehensive protection against genetic discrimination in health insurance and employment Unfortunately, such an assessment would be incorrect. Indeed, GINA may be a case of too much ado about too little.

Type
JLME Column
Information
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , Volume 36 , Issue 1 , Spring 2008 , pp. 174 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics 2008

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