When Does an Illness Begin: Genetic Discrimination and Disease Manifestation

Genetic Information NonDiscrimination Act, § (2008).

29 U.S.C.A. § 1182(a)(3)(B) (2008); 42 U.S.C.A. § 2000ff-9 (2008).

Note: An individual's genetic information is always protected under GINA. However any information about an individual's manifested condition or current symptoms is not protected. For example, if an individual has a family history of heart disease, this fact would be protected, but the individual's current high blood pressure is not.

Green E. D. Guyer M. S. , and the National Human Genome Research Institute, “Charting a Course for Genomic Medicine from Base Pairs to Bedside,” Nature 470, no. 7333 (2011): 204–213.

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) of 2008

Rothstein M. , “GINA, the ADA, and Genetic Discrimination in Employment,” Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 36, no. 4 (2008): 837–840.

Annas G. J. Roche P. Green R. C. , “GINA, Genism, and Civil Rights,” Bioethics 22, no. 7 (November 7, 2008): ii–iv, atiii.

Id.

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Public Law 111–148 (2010).

Vorhaus D. , “Is the Genetic Rights Movement Picking Up Steam?”Genomic Law Report, March 16, 2011, available at <http://www.genomicslawreport.com/index.php/2011/03/16/is-the-genetic-rights-movement-picking-up-steam/>(last visited September 6, 2012).

California Senate Bill No. 559, Introduced by Senator Padilla, February 17, 2011, available at <http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11–12/bill/sen/sb_0551–0600/sb_559_bill_20110217_introduced.pdf>(last visited September 6, 2012).

Id.

See Rothstein, supra note 6.

EEOC Guidance, Section 902 Definition of the Term Disability. (Note: While the ADAAA regulations altered much of the Section 902 definition guidance, those regulations did not address genetic information).

McDevitt W. J. , “I Dream of GINA: Understanding the Employment Provisions of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008,” Villanova Law Review 54, no. 91 (2009): 91–116, at 104.

See Rothstein, supra note 6.

There are two federal statutes that include the concept of manifestation, the Wartime Disability Compensation Act (WDCA), 38 U. S. C. § 1110 (1998), and the National Childhood Vaccine Act (NCVA), 42 U.S.C.A. § 300aa-2, et. seq. (2003). The WDCA introduces a complicated concept of manifestation without ever defining what events or symptoms make a disease manifest. Under the WDCA, a disease is considered “incurred in or aggravated by” service in the military if it becomes “manifest to a degree of 10 percent” within a certain time period after the service. The statute does not include a discussion of what it means to have a disease manifest to a certain percentage and therefore lacks guidance in GINA analysis. Although this was researched, no cases interpreting the WDCA were found. The NCVA also introduces the concept of manifestation without providing a definition within the statute. The NCVA allows individuals to recover compensation for vaccine related injury or death. Section §300aa-11(c)(1)(C)(i) permits individuals to receive compensation for illnesses, disabilities, injuries, or conditions that manifested within the time period set forth in an accompanying Vaccine Injury Table.

Cardamone v. Allstate Ins. Co., 364 N.E.2d 460, 462 (Ill. App. 1977).

Id.

Id., at463.

648 So.2d 237 (1994).

Life General Sec. Ins. Co. v. Cook, 648 So.2d 237 (1994).

Cardamone v. Allstate Ins. Co., 364 N.E.2d 460, 462 (Ill. App. 1977).

Id.

574 F.3d 230, 236 (3rd Cir. 2009).

Id., at 232.

Id., at 235.

Tillman v. Lykes Brothers Steamship Company, 732 F.Supp. 1402, 1405 (S.D. Texas 1990).

Id.

Id.

574 F.3d 230, 236 (3rd Cir 2009).

732 F.Supp. 1402, 1404.

Id., at1405.

Wartime Disability Compensation Act (WDCA), 38 U. S.C. § 1110;

Supra note 10.

Doroshow v. Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company, 574 F.3d 230, 235 (3rd Cir. 2009).

344 Mass. 71, 74 (Mass. 1962).

Id.

210 N.W.2d 647, 648 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1973).

Id., at 651.

344 Mass. 71, 74 (Mass. 1962), quoting Grain Handling Co., Inc. v. Sweeney, 102 F.2d 464, 466 (2nd Cir.).

Mutual Hospital Ins., Inc. v. Klapper, 153 Ind. App. 555, 560 (Ind. App.1972).

See Rothstein, supra note 6.

E.g., 29 U.S.C.A. § 1182(a)(3)(B) (2008).

29 U.S.C.A. § 1191b(d)(6)(A)(iii) (2008).

29 U.S.C.A. § 1191b(d)(7)(B)(ii) (2008).

42 U.S.C.A. § 2000ff-9.

29 C.F.R. § 1635.3(g) (2011); The most recent health insurance regulations have a similar definition of manifestation. 26 C.F.R. §54.9802–3T(a)(6)(i) (2009).

Hemochromatosis is a genetic disease that causes iron levels to build up in the body; without treatment, this can lead to organ damage or failure.

29 CFR § 1635.3(g); 26 CFR 54.9802–3T(a)(6)(i).

Baruch S. , “Your Genes Aren't Covered for That: One Year Later, Gaps in Genetic Discrimination Legislation Reveal the Challenges Ahead,” Science Progress (2009), available at <http://www.scienceprogress.org/2009/06/gina-challenges/>(last visited September 6, 2012).

29 CFR § 1635.3(g) (emphasis added).

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “EEOC's Final Plan for Retrospective Review of Significant Regulations,” available at <http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/regulations/comment_retrospective.cfm>(last visited September 11, 2012).