Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)
You may have recently learned about GINA (Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act) that prohibits employers and health plans from discriminating based on genetic information, including information pertaining to family history or genetic testing. In response to this new legislation, as of November 19, 2009, Affinity Occupational Health will no longer have questions pertaining to family history on our health risk assessment questionnaires (HQ) provided through our partnership with WebMD. We will also be adding a statement to our HQ to inform participants that we do not ask questions regarding family history. We currently do not share any family history data with our client companies and it is not a component of our aggregate report. This data has only been used in the past to provide participants with information regarding their overall risk profile.
In consulting with our clients, we take great care in assisting them in designing and implementing wellness programs that correspond with applicable federal and state guidelines. While family history information is not a component of the incentive programs or scorecards that we have implemented with our clients, we encourage you to contact your legal counsel should you have any questions regarding your company's compliance with GINA in regards to your incentive and/or mandated wellness programs.
Please feel free to contact Lisa Kogan-Praska, sales manager, at lpraska@affinityhealth.org for additional information or assistance. We appreciate your continued partnership with Affinity Occupational Health.
