Reacting to federal legislative proposals, The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. announced that it has added language to its Employee Practice Liability (EPL) policies that providing employer coverage against allegations of genetic discrimination.[@@]
The company noted that in February the Senate approved a bill that would prohibit employers or health care providers from discriminating against individuals based on genetic tests that reveal predictive information.
Under the legislation employees who refuse such testing may bring legal action if they believe it is used to bar their hiring, affect their health insurance status or causes termination of their employment.
Hartford's new coverage would protect companies from such claims.
According to a summary attached to the bill, it is intended to prevent companies from taking action against an individual based on their desire to avoid medical costs after tests reveal the worker could be susceptible to a costly illness.
The Hartford said that its EPL Genetic Makeup Endorsement protects employers from possible allegations by individuals claiming discrimination based on their genetic makeup, or refusal to submit to genetic testing.
Paul Sullivan, vice president at The Hartford's Hartford Financial Products division told National Underwriter that such a situation "would be an allegation against an employer for what we feel would be an employment related discrimination claim in [his opinion that] most EPL policies are unclear as of today [in terms of coverage]."
Mr. Sullivan added that genetic makeup discrimination was a new variation of discrimination claims in the employment field that the company wanted to insure employers against.
A companion measure to the Senate bill is currently pending in the House.
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