Bill Would Let Employers Penalize Workers Who Say No to Genetic Testing
Will the new eugenicists in the GOP enact the framework to create a new class of unemployed people who are doomed at birth and under the current GOP Trumpcare bill who are uninsurable? Lord help you if you have the wrong genes I mean…
Employers could impose hefty penalties on employees who decline to participate in genetic testing as part of workplace wellness programs if a bill approved by a House committee becomes law.
Employers, in general, don’t have that power under existing federal laws that protect genetic privacy and nondiscrimination. But a bill passed last week by a House committee would allow employers to get around that if the information is collected as part of workplace wellness programs.
The bill, Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act, HR 1313, was introduced by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), who chairs the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Workplace wellness programs — which offer workers a variety of carrots and sticks to monitor and improve their health, such as lowering cholesterol — have become increasingly popular among companies. Some offer discounts on health insurance to employees who complete health-risk assessments. Others might charge people more for smoking.
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