Genetic privacy, discrimination, and the US Congress

Advances in genetics research have fueled public debate over the use of gen etic information about individuals and families by health insurers. Fears o f discrimination based on one's genetic inheritance have prompted various p rivate and public sector groups to press for restrictions on access to and use of genetic information in health insurance decisions. As a result, the U.S. Congress has considered several pieces of legislation that would impos e such restrictions. This paper discusses the merging of several factors th at are responsible for placing and maintaining this issue on the congressio nal policy agenda.