Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act S 358

Protecting the Unborn: It's Genetic!
Yesterday, a Senate bill called the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (S. 358) was passed out of committee to prevent health insurance companies and employers from discriminating against people who test "positive" for a genetic disease. A major concern of pro-lifers is that while it covers individuals and their families, it excludes unborn children. The definition of "family member" includes the individual and "a dependent child of the individual, including a child who is born to or placed for adoption with the individual." Family Research Council is extremely concerned that this definition would exempt unborn children and children in the process of adoption from the bill's protections. Research suggests that as many as 92% of unborn children who test positive for Down Syndrome are aborted, in many cases because the unborn child is denied, or subject to the denial of, health insurance. Health insurance companies and employers should not be allowed to use genetic information about unborn children to discriminate against their families or to pressure parents to abort them. We will continue to work with pro-life leaders such as Sens. Mike Enzi (R-WY), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Richard Burr (R-NC), and others to ensure that this loophole--which would victimize unborn children and their families--is closed.