The Minnesota Supreme Court issued a decision on November 16, 2011 holding that the state’s Genetic Privacy Act, Minn. Stat. Section 13.386 (2010) restricts the collection and use of blood samples taken from newborns pursuant to the state’s Newborn Screening Statutes, Minn. Stat. Section 144.125-128. The litigation, captioned Bearder et al v. State of Minnesota, … Continue Reading
Companies frequently receive requests for information about current and former employees. These requests often come in the form of an attorney's demand letter or a subpoena and apply to the individual's medical records. Failing to carefully think through whether and how to respond can be a costly trap for the unwary.… Continue Reading
The long awaited final Title II regulations under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) will be issued tomorrow, November 9, 2010. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published proposed regulations under Title II of GINA on March 2, 2009. A period of public comment followed. The final regulations will have an impact on a number of employment practices, including wellness programs. We will be … Continue Reading
ABC News has reported that a Fairfield, Connecticut woman, Pamela Fink, yesterday filed claims with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities that her employer violated GINA when it terminated her employment on March 25, 2010. The federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) (pdf), which went into effect … Continue Reading
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) [pdf], signed into law in May 2008, prohibits discrimination by health insurers and employers based on individuals’ genetic information. Genetic information includes the results of genetic tests to determine whether someone is at increased risk of acquiring a condition (such as some forms of breast cancer) in the future, … Continue Reading
