Republicans Vote to Allow Selling of Children’s Personal Health Information

Yesterday, while considering H.R. 1313, the Preserving Employer Wellness Act, Committee Republicans voted against privacy protections for the health information workers and their children.  Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02) offered an amendment to protect the information obtained through wellness programs from being sold for profit.  Rep. Jared Polis (CO-02) also offered an amendment requiring employers to notify workers if information obtained through a wellness program was sold.  Republicans opposed both amendments.

Committee Democrats were united in their opposition to H.R. 1313 which would force the disclosure of sensitive information protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). H.R. 1313 goes against existing privacy and civil rights protections, and it would have the effect of coercing employees to turn over ADA or GINA information – including their family’s genetic information – as part of a wellness program. H.R. 1313 would also essentially permit coercion to provide the genetic information of spouses and children as part of a workplace wellness program, despite the fact that GINA expressly protects compelling or requiring such information.

Rep. Courtney

WATCH HERE: http://bit.ly/2m3Yvk2