Protect BC Survivors From Discrimination

Anonymous

Protect BC Survivors From Discrimination

Anonymous

I received this e-mail today from the Komen Foundation and thought I'd share it with you:

You all know that there is a genetic test that can help us find out if our family history of breast cancer may be due to a genetic mutation. 

But did you know that if you are tested - and your results are positive - there are very few federal protections preventing insurance companies from denying you coverage due to your genetic condition. This has led many to forgo testing, denying them important information that could help them manage their health and the health of their families.
 
But there is something we can do to change this! The Senate is debating a bill called the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), which would make it illegal to discriminate based on genetic information.
 

http://komenpolicy.org/campaign/us_genetic_protections/xwuuesd947w6mkwd?

wishiwere

So where are they getting our information to even send us the email, do you know?  I wondered that first when I got the email today also.

And it's also the reason I posted about why can't we get the testing done without our names listed or the info going into our files? 

Anonymous

Some of us are registered at Komen because we did the walk .... I got the email, too. 

Thanks Laura, I will click on the link!

Anonymous

btt

Anonymous

I got this from Komen today:

Last week we told you about GINA - the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act - which if passed would make it illegal to discriminate based on genetic information.

This protection is critical, since testing for a specific genetic mutation commonly associated with breast cancer can lead to early detection and treatment - saving countless lives.

Now we have great news. More than 16,000 of you sent letters to your Senators in support of GINA, and it paid off!
Thanks to your support, the Senate unanimously passed GINA last night (Thursday, April 25) and now the bill just needs approval from the House and the signature of the President - both of which are expected to happen quickly.

GINA prohibits discrimination by health insurers and employers on the basis of genetic information. So now, thanks to GINA, women who would otherwise have avoided genetic testing because they feared discrimination - thus being denied information that could help them manage their health or their family's health - will have protections under federal law. 

The passage of GINA is an important step that presents a great opportunity to promote personalized medicine and the use of genetic information in healthcare. This will lead to better research and development for new targeted drugs and treatments, which will save lives.

GINA will become the law of the land.  And you helped make it possible.

Thank you for your efforts,

Diane Balma
Susan G. Komen for the Cure Advocacy Alliance

rferraris

Komen has a great team of public policy members that work daily in keeping up with what's going on in the Federal as well as state level.  In June my husband and I will be traveling to D.C. to represent our affiliate for Komen's lobby day.  I participated last year and was amazed at what  our elected officials don't know. We have to remember that they work for us!  I now communicate regularly with their offices.

Have you checked out their public policy site?  2.5 million survivors can have a huge impact on the upcoming elections!

www.actnowendbreastcancer.org

Rachel 

CBJ

Thank you for posting this info.  I go for my genetic test on Monday and am so glad to hear the news.  Makes me feel better if my test comes back that I have the gene mutation.