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  Health Insurance - Related Laws

Health Coverage and GINA

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) was signed into law on May 21, 2008. GINA prohibits discrimination in health care coverage (as well as employment) based on genetic information.

Health Coverage Tax Credit

The Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) is a federally funded tax credit that helps make health coverage more affordable for eligible individuals and their families by paying a significant portion of qualified health insurance premiums. 

Certain displaced workers are certified by the U.S. Department of Labor as eligible to receive Trade Readjustment Allowances under the Trade Adjustment Assistance program. Others may be eligible because they receive benefits from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and are 55 years old or older.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) impacts a wide variety of features of the U.S. health care system.  Its best known and most important provisions affect the portability of health coverage, and the privacy and security of individuals’ personal health information. 

How Does HIPAA Affect Employers?

HIPAA’s provisions apply to certain defined “covered entities,” so it is important for employers to understand when they may have responsibilities under the law.  For employers, these responsibilities are most often associated with a group health plan that they sponsor.    

HIPAA specifically does not cover “employers.”  The law does not protect employment records, even if the information in those records is health-related.  Generally, HIPAA also does not apply to the actions of an employer, including the actions of a manager in the workplace.

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