Genetic information privacy in health insurance
VA insurance genetic privacy
Genetic · Health · Financial
Bars health insurers, health plans, and HMOs from using genetic information, or a request for genetic services, to deny, limit, cancel, condition, exclude, rate, or add waiting periods or riders to coverage, and bars agent commission differences based on genetic characteristics.
- Where
- Virginia
- Citation
- Va. Code § 38.2-508.4
- Status
- In force
- In force since
- 1996-07-01
- Enforced by
- State Corporation Commission, Bureau of Insurance
- People can sue
- No
- Penalties
- No section-specific penalty; enforced under the Insurance Code's general unfair-trade-practice powers.
- Applies to
- Insurers issuing hospital, medical, surgical, or major medical accident and sickness coverage, health services plan corporations, and HMOs (excluding disability income insurance) (38.2-508.4(B))
Practices it requires
- Do not terminate, restrict, cancel, refuse to renew, exclude, impose waiting periods, require exclusionary riders, or vary premiums based on genetic information or a request for genetic services.Va. Code § 38.2-508.4(B)
- Keep information from genetic screening or testing confidential and do not use it to cancel, refuse, or limit coverage.Va. Code § 38.2-508.4(C)
Sources
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.
Unverified: Effective date inferred from Virginia's default July 1 effective date for regular-session acts; enacting bill page not checked. History: 1996, c. 704. Enforcement authority inferred from the Insurance Code structure, not stated in the section.
Research reference, not legal advice.