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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 Cliff Stearns
We continue to find a world of information that will better the lives of people around the world. Genetic testing and genetic information is but one of many new technologies that will advance health care, provide better preventative medicine and counseling, unlock the causes and factors in disease, make for better treatments, and improve the delivery of services. We can ensure that this new technology is a friend to patients and not something that they in any way need to fear. Like many industries health care and insurance is evolving rapidly to meet our needs and to respond to changes in the market place. In the future, genetic information will be an indispensable part of a medical file. We should not, by regulation, force health care plans or providers to create separate files of information that have to comply with one new regulatory regime after another or chill the collection, dissemination, or research of important information. There are current Federal prohibitions on discrimination based on genetic information and the current privacy rules that already exists under Federal law. It is our job to understand these regulations. It is also our job to understand how insurance companies produce a competitive product. Before we make major changes lets make sure we have real fact patterns and real cases to review. We must make sure insurance is affordable for small employers. If we do not we will add to the ranks of the 43 million uninsured Americans. The most important thing we can do is be thoughtful and deliberative at looking at important new issues including the potential for discrimination in health care based on genetic testing. In that regard, I am pleased to review and work with Representatives Slaughter and Morella as we look at this issue within the Energy and Commerce Committee. I look forward to hearing from today's witnesses. I also intend to work closely with the Administration and get as much expertise as we can find.
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