Get notified of page updates
Sign Up for FORCE Newsletters
Public Policy Priorities
Review some of FORCE's current legislative and regulatory policy priorities that impact the hereditary cancer community.
I am here to learn about:
Close

Genetic Testing

I've Tested Positive, Now What?

Women with Mutations

Men with Mutations

Lynch Syndrome

Colorectal Cancer

Ovarian Cancer

Breast Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer

Prostate Cancer

Endometrial Cancer

Biomarker Testing

Information for Healthcare Professionals

Information for Researchers

Managing Menopause

Family History and Outreach

Resources to Address Health Disparities

LGBTQIA+ and Cancer

Español

Privacy, Policy and Legal Issues > Advocacy Archive > Archived Policy

Policy Archive Successful Effort

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)

Genetic Privacy & Protection

In 2008, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) was passed to protect individuals from genetic discrimination in health care and employment. GINA was the result of a 13-year effort spearheaded by the Coalition for Genetic Fairness (CGF).  FORCE was an active member of this coalition beginning in 1999, the year FORCE was established.  

GINA LogoDesigned to prohibit the use of genetic information in health insurance and employment., GINA prohibits group health plans and insurers from denying coverage to a healthy individual or charging that person higher premiums based solely on a genetic predisposition to developing a disease in the future. The legislation also bars employers from using individuals' genetic information when making hiring, firing, job placement, or promotion decisions.  Initially, the Coalition consisted of civil rights, disease-specific, and healthcare organizations, but in 2005 the CGF expanded to include industry groups and employers, uniting more than 500 organizations and thousands of individuals as one voice against genetic discrimination. 

The law currently does not protect individuals from discrimination in life, disability or long-term care insurance. For more information, visit NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute.

See our Privacy & Nondiscrimination section of our website for more extensive information about GINA and other legal protections.  

Take Action Now BECOME AN ADVOCATE 2023 Priorities Advocacy Archive Public Policy Initiatives

News Briefs

8/14/2023 - Joined stakeholders in a letter to the American College of Physicians expressing disappointment with the preventive colorectal cancer screening guidance it published, which conflicts with recommendations provided by the USPSTF, NCCRT, ACS, NCCN and other reputable organizations. 

7/21/2023 - Wrote House and Senate leadership, expressing support for increased funding for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in its staffing and administrative support of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) as part of the FY24 appropriations bill.

6/7/2023 - Joined physicians and patient advocacy groups to support California AB 632, which will allow patients to receive prostate cancer screening without a deductible, copayment, or coinsurance for prostate cancer screening, including men over the age of 40 who are at high risk for prostate cancer.

More

Related Resources
Related Resources