Privacy Law Library

Genetic Testing and Genetic Information in Health Insurance

RI Health Insurance Genetic Privacy

Genetic · Health · Financial

Parallel provisions across Rhode Island's health insurance chapters forbid health insurers, hospital and medical service corporations and HMOs from using genetic tests or genetic information in coverage, pricing or eligibility decisions, from requiring or asking about genetic tests, and from releasing genetic results without the person's written authorization for each disclosure.

Where
Rhode Island
Citation
R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 27-18-52, 27-18-52.1, 27-19-44, 27-19-44.1, 27-20-39, 27-20-39.1, 27-41-53, 27-41-53.1
Status
In force
Enforced by
Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation / Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner
People can sue
No
Penalties
The sections contain no specific penalty; enforcement is through the insurance regulators' general authority over insurers and plans.
Applies to
  • Accident and sickness insurers (ch. 27-18), nonprofit hospital service corporations (ch. 27-19), nonprofit medical service corporations (ch. 27-20) and HMOs (ch. 27-41) issuing individual or group health coverage in Rhode Island (excluding disability income, long-term care and specified-disease or other supplemental policies)
  • Insurance administrators, health plans and providers (release restriction)

Practices it requires

  • Insurance administrators, health plans and providers may not release genetic information without the individual's prior written authorization for each disclosure, naming the recipient (Common Rule research excepted).R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 27-18-52.1(a), 27-18-52(a)
  • Do not use genetic information or test results to reject, deny, limit, cancel, refuse to renew, raise rates for or otherwise affect a health policy.R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-18-52.1(b)(1); parallel §§ 27-19-44.1, 27-20-39.1, 27-41-53.1
  • Do not request or require genetic information or tests to decide issuance, renewal, reimbursement or covered benefits, or ask whether a person has ever had genetic testing.R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-18-52(b)(2), (4)
  • Do not release test results without prior written authorization unless de-identified; recipients may use them only for the disclosed purpose, and each redisclosure needs authorization.R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-18-52(b)(3)

Sources

Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.

Unverified: Only the ch. 27-18 sections were read in full; the parallel ch. 27-19, 27-20 and 27-41 sections were confirmed by title in the chapter indexes and assumed to track the same text. | Effective dates (P.L. 1998, ch. 380; P.L. 2001, chs. 38 and 54) not confirmed.

Research reference, not legal advice.