Overview
Learn about laws and legal protections that impact the hereditary cancer community. Learn how to file a grievance or complaint.
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Sign Up for FORCE NewslettersHealth privacy & nondiscrimination laws
The U.S. has a patchwork of national and state laws that help protect the privacy of most Americans' health and genetic information, and prevent certain types of discrimination based on that information. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) are the primary federal laws that aim to protect your "private" health information.
These laws, together with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), ensure that your personal or family health history is not used to discriminate against you in health care and employment.
Related Resources
- Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act website provides an introduction to the GINA, its protections, and answers to commonly asked questions about the law.
- Health.mil has information for military personnel and retirees who wish to file a HIPAA complaint.
- National Human Genome Research Institute provides an overview of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) and tracks state-level laws and protections.
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has a section of its website dedicated to health information privacy.
- If you believe that your health information privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which enforces HIPAA, the Patient Safety Act and Quality Improvement Act and other protective laws.