<nobr>May 3, 2007</nobr>

ERIC Joins Letter to Senate Urging Remedies to Genetic Information Legislation

As part of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination in Employment Coalition, ERIC signed on to a letter to Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and ranking Member Michael Enzi (R-WY) to urge the U.S. Senate to clarify that, when it considers the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (H.R.493/S.358), employer sponsors of group health plans and health insurers are not subject to excessive litigation and damages for matters related to administration of health benefit plans.

The House recently approved H.R.493, but a clarifying provision was dropped prior to the final vote, and a new provision was included which failed to clarify whether an employer's group health plan or an insurer could face lawsuits for compensatory and punitive damages related to the use of genetics information.

The letter urges the Senators to clarify that employer-sponsored group health plans and health insurance coverage are exclusively regulated by title I of the legislation. Otherwise genetics information claims for civil penalties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act will be accompanied by lawsuits against employers for compensatory and punitive damages under title II of the bill.

Text Files:

Letter

Back to Previous Page