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The Potential for Discrimination in Health Insurance Based on Predictive Genetic Tests
Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection
Prepared Statement of The Honorable Billy Tauzin
Thank you Mr. Chairman. I commend you for holding this important hearing. This Committee has important expertise to contribute to addressing the evolving nature of health care, health insurance, and the privacy and use of medical information. Today's hearing combines many of these cutting edge concerns. As a general matter, our overall objective is improving the health of Americans. In this regard, genetic testing holds great promise. It will provide important information both for the counseling and treatment of individual patients and for research to identify the causes and factors in diseases. In the future, genetic information will be an indispensable part of a medical file. We can protect privacy and assure that genetic information is used on behalf of patients. We must encourage, however, the free flow of general medical knowledge that will be derived from genetic tests. Also, whatever we may do to enhance protection from discrimination in eligibility or rate setting for insurance, we must take great care not to create an unnecessary bureaucracy that will chill the collection and use of genetic information on behalf of patients and for research. Moreover, it is important to evaluate the current Federal prohibitions on discrimination based on genetic information and the current privacy rules that already exists under Federal law. Federal regulation of health insurance and health care is already too complicated to add redundant provisions. We must make sure that what we do in this area doesn't add to the complexity. Finally, we must always recognize that our private sector health insurance is a significant part of what helps provide Americans with great health care. Let's not take steps that will increase premium rates for small employers and, thus, unintentionally increase the number of uninsured Americans. I am pleased that this hearing will begin a careful evaluation of the issues pertaining to genetic non-discrimination in health insurance. I look forward to hearing from today's witnesses to assist the Committee in these deliberations.
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