State Genetic Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance Laws

Genetics and Health Insurance
State Anti-Discrimination Laws

Link to: Genetic Technologies Project NCSL Genetics Laws and Legislative Activity

Updated January 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. For a full understanding of genetics law in a particular state, please go back to the Genetics Laws and Legislative Activity page and click on the other topical law tables.

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.

State	Citation	Type of Insurance Policy	May not Establish Rules for Eligibility based on Genetic Information	May not Require Genetic Tests/Genetic Information	May not Use Genetic Information for Risk Selection or Risk Classification Purposes	May not Disclose Information Without Informed Consent
Alabama	§§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	§§33-54-1 to 8	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	v ²^,⁴	X
Indiana	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	§§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	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	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, 3901.49 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	§§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 §21.73	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:
¹Alabama 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.

^{2Prohibits 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.
^{3Prohibits the use of genetic information without actuarial justification.
^{4Permits the use of genetic information only when voluntarily submitted.
^{5Permits the use of genetic information only when favorable to the individual.
^{6Prohibits the use of an individual's genetic information to increase his policy rates.
^{7Requires written authorization for health care providers to disclose health care information, including genetic information.

Source: NCSL, Westlaw, StateNet (November 2007)}}}}}}

Genetics and Health Insurance State Anti-Discrimination Laws

Link to: Genetic Technologies Project NCSL Genetics Laws and Legislative Activity

Updated January 2008

Genetics and Health Insurance
State Anti-Discrimination Laws