Congress gives final approval for genetic discrimination bill; Bush expected to sign [View All]

[question everything]

Source: SF Chronicles

Zachary Coile, Chronicle Washington Bureau

Thursday, May 1, 2008

(05-01) 15:20 PDT Washington - --

The House gave final approval Thursday to a measure that would ban employers and health insurance plans from discriminating against people based on genetic tests that show they may be predisposed to heart disease, cancer or other conditions.

Supporters hailed the bill as the as the first major civil rights legislation of the 21st century, and said it would convince Americans to get tested and embrace new genetic treatments without fearing the information would be used to deny them their job or their health coverage.

(snip)

The bill passed with overwhelming support in House on a 414-1 vote, a week after being approved by a 95-0 vote in the Senate. The only member of Congress to vote against the bill was Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas. President Bush has promised sign it. But the nearly unanimous support for the measure masks a hard-fought 13-year fight to pass the bill. Health insurers and employers groups fought the measure vigorously, and ultimately secured some changes to the bill. House GOP leaders, who viewed some provisions as anti-business, blocked it from reaching the floor until Democrats took power last year.

(snip)

The National Institutes of Health reported that 32 percent of women offered a genetic test to determine their risk of breast cancer declined because they worried they would lose their health insurance. An NIH study of families with a history of colon cancer found that 68 percent said they would not bill the test to their insurer for fear of losing coverage and 26 percent would test using an alias.



Read more: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/01/BAI910F6TO.DTL

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Why would Ron Paul be against it?

Oh, I know. Libertarians do not not like government involved in anything... until they need help..