By Joel Magalnick, Editor, JTNews
Life insurance is getting attention in the state’s legislature this year. One bill before the Senate, SB 5452, seeks to bar life insurance companies from requiring policyholders or applicants to submit genetic tests, and to disallow the use of any genetic information in determining whether to issue an insurance policy.
Washington has historically been behind the curve in approving legislation to bar genetic information from being used against groups or individuals, but a law was passed in 2004 that would not allow discrimination based on genetics. According to the Government Affairs department of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, there have been at least two cases where genetic information has been abused in employment discrimination, though those cases were not in this state.
The bill states, “It is unlawful for any life insurer to requireÖany policyholder or prospective policyholderÖto submit genetic information or submit to screening for genetic information as a condition of obtaining or retaining a life insurance or annuity policy.” It would also be illegal to set rates based on that information.
That bill received a Senate hearing on Wednesday.
Also related to life insurance were two bills, introduced concurrently: Senate Bill 5530, spearheaded by Sen. Adam Kline (D-37th) and House Bill 1561, introduced by Rep. Sherry Appleton (D-23rd). The bill states that life insurance companies may not deny or refuse coverage based upon travel to legal destinations.
“It’s something that we felt that was important, especially because it was so discriminatory that insurers could look at your past, present and future travel,” said Appleton, who was approached by Remy Trupin, director of the Federation’s Government Affairs department, about the bill. Trupin worked with the Anti-Defamation League to craft the language of the legislation.
Several people in the state’s Jewish community have been refused life insurance because of travel to Israel, though insurers could refuse policies to travelers on any country on the U.S. State Department’s watch list—a list which Appleton noted does not include war-torn Iraq. Allstate dropped the refusal practice last year, the only large insurer to do so.
“People travel everywhere these days. It’s not like we have closed borders anymore,” Appleton said. “It puts an obstacle for economics as well. Many people travel to explore economic opportunities.”
Though the House bill has not yet been scheduled for a hearing, the Senate version was heard on the floor Tuesday afternoon.
“I’m sure there are some insurance people who would have a little angst with this,” said Appleton, but noted that all other things being equal, citizens should not be penalized for legal travel.