Genetics and Health Insurance State Anti-Discrimination Laws
Updated January 2008
Genetic Information: Legal Issues Relating to Discrimination and Privacy
Congressional Research Service, March 2008
The table below provides a current summary of state laws pertaining to the use of genetic information in health insurance. Restrictions on the use of genetic information in health insurance may address the use of genetic information in individual insurance, group insurance or both. These laws may restrict health insurers from engaging in certain activities, including using genetic information to determine eligibility or set premiums, requiring genetic testing of applicants, or disclosing genetic information without consent. The laws listed below do not govern the use of genetic information in employer-sponsored health benefit plans, which are under the purview of the federal government, and certain exceptions may apply. The states with genetics and health insurance laws listed below also may have laws related to other genetics policy issues, such as genetic privacy or genetic discrimination in other settings. The legislature may have addressed these issues in conjunction with or separately from genetics and health insurance.
NCSL members can access further information on this topic in the article "Plunging into the Gene Pool" from the March 2007 issue of State Legislatures. A series of publicly available GeneticsBriefs also provide background information on the subject.
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State
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Citation
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Type of Insurance Policy
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May not Establish Rules for Eligibility based on Genetic Information
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May not Require Genetic Tests/Genetic Information
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May not Use Genetic Information for Risk Selection or Risk Classification Purposes
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May not Disclose Information Without Informed Consent
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Alabama
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§§27-53-1et seq.
|
Individual and Group
|
X1
|
|
X1
|
|
|
Alaska
|
§§21.54.100, et seq.
|
Group
|
X
|
|
X2
|
|
|
Arizona
|
§§20-448, 448.02
|
Individual and Group
|
X4
|
|
X3
|
X
|
|
Arkansas
|
23§§86-304 et seq., 23§66-320
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X2
|
|
|
California
|
Insurance Code: §§742.405, 7, 10140, 3, 6 to 9, 9.1
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Colorado
|
§10-3-1104.7
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Connecticut
|
38a§§ 816, 476
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
|
X
|
|
|
Delaware
|
§§16-1220, 18-2317
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
|
X
|
X
|
| District of Columbia |
§§2-1401.01 et seq. |
Individual and Group |
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Florida
|
§§627.4301, 627.6419, 636.0201, 641.31071, 641.31073, 641.438
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Georgia
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§§33-54-1 to 8
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Group or Individual
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Hawaii
|
§§431:10a-118 and 404.5, 432:1-607 and 404.5, 432d-26
|
Individual
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Idaho
|
§§41-2221, 41-3940, 41-4708
|
Group
Individual
|
X
|
|
X
|
|
|
Illinois
|
215-97/20, 97/25, 410-513/10 to 45
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
x2,4
|
X
|
|
Indiana
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27§§4-1-4(23), 8-26-1 et seq.
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X4,5
|
|
|
Iowa
|
§513b.9a, 10(4)(a)(1)
|
Group
|
X
|
|
X2
|
|
|
Kansas
|
§40-2259
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Kentucky
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§§304.12-085, 304.17a-200 et seq.
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
|
X
|
X
|
|
Louisiana
|
22§213.7
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
|
X
|
X
|
|
Maine
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24A§§2159-C(2), 2204, 2850-C, 22§1711-C
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
|
X
|
X
|
|
Maryland
|
Ins §27-208, 909
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X6
|
X
|
|
Massachusetts
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111§70G; 175§120E; 176§3B; 176B§5B; 176G§24; 176I§4A
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
|
X4
|
X
|
|
Michigan
|
§§550.1401, 3407(b)
|
Individual and Group
|
|
X
|
|
X
|
|
Minnesota
|
§72a.139
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Mississippi
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Missouri
|
§§375.1300 et seq.
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X4
|
X
|
|
Montana
|
§§33-18-901 et seq.
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X6
|
|
|
Nebraska
|
§§44-787, 524.02, 6910, 15, 16
|
Individual
|
|
X
|
|
|
|
Nevada
|
§§689a.417, 689b.069, 689c.076, 198
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
|
X
|
X
|
|
New Hampshire
|
§§141-H:1 et seq.
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
New Jersey
|
10:5-43 et seq., §17B:30-12
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
|
X
|
X
|
|
New Mexico
|
§§24-21-1 et seq.
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
New York
|
Ins §2612
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X4
|
X4
|
X
|
|
North Carolina
|
§§58-3-25, 215
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
|
|
|
|
North Dakota
|
§§26.1-36.3-01 et seq.
|
Group
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ohio
|
§§1751.65, 3901.491 et seq.
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Oklahoma
|
§36-3614.1
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Oregon
|
§746.135
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X4
|
X6
|
X
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rhode Island
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§§27-18-52 et seq., 19-44 et seq., 20-39 et seq., 41-53 et seq.
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
South Carolina
|
§§38-93-10 to 60
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
|
X
|
X
|
|
South Dakota
|
§§58-18-45, 58-18B-27
|
Group
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Tennessee
|
§§56-7-2701 to 08
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
Texas
|
Ins §546.001 et seq.
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
|
X6
|
X
|
|
Utah
|
§26-45-101 to 106
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Vermont
|
§§8:4724, 18:9334
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
|
X3
|
X
|
|
Virginia
|
§§38.2-508.4, 613
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
|
X
|
X
|
|
Washington
|
§70.02.010
|
|
|
|
|
X
|
|
West Virginia
|
§§33-15-2(a), (b)
|
Individual
|
X
|
|
X3
|
|
|
Wisconsin
|
§§631.89, 632.746, 8
|
Individual and Group
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
Wyoming
|
§26-19-102(g), 22-502
|
Group
|
X
|
|
|
|
NOTES
1 Alabama only prohibits the use of genetic information for denying coverage for applicants with sickle cell anemia and outlaws the considering a predisposition for cancer in risk selection or risk classification.
2 Prohibits the use of genetic information for the establishment of a premium, contribution, or policy fee greater than a similarly situated individual already enrolled in the plan on the basis of a health status factor.
3 Prohibits the use of genetic information without actuarial justification.
4 Permits the use of genetic information only when voluntarily submitted.
5 Permits the use of genetic information only when favorable to the individual.
6 Prohibits the use of an individual's genetic information to increase his policy rates.
Source: NCSL, Westlaw, StateNet
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