A group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage may not establish rules for eligibility (including continued eligibility) of any individual to enroll under the terms of the plan or coverage based on any of the following health status-related factors in relation to the individual or a dependent of the individual:
A group health plan, and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage, may not require any individual (as a condition of enrollment or continued enrollment under the plan) to pay a premium or contribution which is greater than such premium or contribution for a similarly situated individual enrolled in the plan on the basis of any health status-related factor in relation to the individual or to an individual enrolled under the plan as a dependent of the individual.
Nothing in paragraph (1) shall be construed-
For purposes of this section, a group health plan, and health1 insurance issuer offering group health insurance coverage in connection with a group health plan, may not adjust premium or contribution amounts for the group covered under such plan on the basis of genetic information.
Nothing in subparagraph (A) or in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (d) shall be construed to limit the ability of a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage to increase the premium for an employer based on the manifestation of a disease or disorder of an individual who is enrolled in the plan. In such case, the manifestation of a disease or disorder in one individual cannot also be used as genetic information about other group members and to further increase the premium for the employer.
A group health plan, and a health insurance issuer offering health insurance coverage in connection with a group health plan, shall not request or require an individual or a family member of such individual to undergo a genetic test.
Paragraph (1) shall not be construed to limit the authority of a health care professional who is providing health care services to an individual to request that such individual undergo a genetic test.
Nothing in paragraph (1) shall be construed to preclude a group health plan, or a health insurance issuer offering health insurance coverage in connection with a group health plan, from obtaining and using the results of a genetic test in making a determination regarding payment (as such term is defined for the purposes of applying the regulations promulgated by the Secretary under part C of title XI of the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 1320d et seq.] and section 264 of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as may be revised from time to time) consistent with subsection (a).
For purposes of subparagraph (A), a group health plan, or a health insurance issuer offering health insurance coverage in connection with a group health plan, may request only the minimum amount of information necessary to accomplish the intended purpose.
Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a group health plan, or a health insurance issuer offering health insurance coverage in connection with a group health plan, may request, but not require, that a participant or beneficiary undergo a genetic test if each of the following conditions is met:
A group health plan, and a health insurance issuer offering health insurance coverage in connection with a group health plan, shall not request, require, or purchase genetic information for underwriting purposes (as defined in section 300gg-91 of this title).
A group health plan, and a health insurance issuer offering health insurance coverage in connection with a group health plan, shall not request, require, or purchase genetic information with respect to any individual prior to such individual's enrollment under the plan or coverage in connection with such enrollment.
If a group health plan, or a health insurance issuer offering health insurance coverage in connection with a group health plan, obtains genetic information incidental to the requesting, requiring, or purchasing of other information concerning any individual, such request, requirement, or purchase shall not be considered a violation of paragraph (2) if such request, requirement, or purchase is not in violation of paragraph (1).
The provisions of subsections (a)(6), (b)(3), (c), and (d) and subsection (b)(1) and section 300gg-3 of this title with respect to genetic information, shall apply to group health plans and health insurance issuers without regard to section 300gg-21(a)2 of this title.
Any reference in this part to genetic information concerning an individual or family member of an individual shall-
For purposes of subsection (b)(2)(B), a program of health promotion or disease prevention (referred to in this subsection as a "wellness program") shall be a program offered by an employer that is designed to promote health or prevent disease that meets the applicable requirements of this subsection.
If none of the conditions for obtaining a premium discount or rebate or other reward for participation in a wellness program is based on an individual satisfying a standard that is related to a health status factor, such wellness program shall not violate this section if participation in the program is made available to all similarly situated individuals and the requirements of paragraph (2) are complied with.
If any of the conditions for obtaining a premium discount or rebate or other reward for participation in a wellness program is based on an individual satisfying a standard that is related to a health status factor, such wellness program shall not violate this section if the requirements of paragraph (3) are complied with.
If none of the conditions for obtaining a premium discount or rebate or other reward under a wellness program as described in paragraph (1)(B) are based on an individual satisfying a standard that is related to a health status factor (or if such a wellness program does not provide such a reward), the wellness program shall not violate this section if participation in the program is made available to all similarly situated individuals. The following programs shall not have to comply with the requirements of paragraph (3) if participation in the program is made available to all similarly situated individuals:
If any of the conditions for obtaining a premium discount, rebate, or reward under a wellness program as described in paragraph (1)(C) is based on an individual satisfying a standard that is related to a health status factor, the wellness program shall not violate this section if the following requirements are complied with:
Nothing in this section shall prohibit a program of health promotion or disease prevention that was established prior to March 23, 2010, and applied with all applicable regulations, and that is operating on such date, from continuing to be carried out for as long as such regulations remain in effect.
Not later than July 1, 2014, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Labor, shall establish a 10-State demonstration project under which participating States shall apply the provisions of subsection (j) to programs of health promotion offered by a health insurance issuer that offers health insurance coverage in the individual market in such State.
If the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Labor, determines that the demonstration project described in paragraph (1) is effective, such Secretaries may, beginning on July 1, 2017 expand such demonstration project to include additional participating States.
The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Labor, shall not approve the participation of a State in the demonstration project under this section unless the Secretaries determine that the State's project is designed in a manner that-
States that participate in the demonstration project under this subsection-
Not later than 3 years after March 23, 2010, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Labor, shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of Congress concerning-
In preparing the report described in paragraph (1), the Secretaries shall gather relevant information from employers who provide employees with access to wellness programs, including State and Federal agencies.
Nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting the Secretaries of Labor, Health and Human Services, or the Treasury from promulgating regulations in connection with this section.
1So in original. Probably should be preceded by "a".
2See References in Text note below.
3So in original. No subsecs. (g) to (i) have been enacted.
42 U.S.C. § 300gg-4
EDITORIAL NOTES
REFERENCES IN TEXTThe Social Security Act, referred to in subsec. (c)(3)(A), is act Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, 49 Stat. 620. Part C of title XI of the Act is classified generally to part C (§1320d et seq.) of subchapter XI of chapter 7 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1305 of this title and Tables.Section 264 of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, referred to in subsecs. (c)(3)(A) and (l)(3)(B)(iv), is section 264 of Pub. L. 104-191 which is set out as a note under section 1320d-2 of this title.Section 300gg-21(a) of this title, referred to in subsec. (e), was in the original a reference to section 2735(a) of act July 1, 1944, and was translated as if it referred to section 2722(a) of that act to reflect the probable intent of Congress because of the renumbering of section 2735 as 2722 by Pub. L. 111-148, title I, §1563(c)(12)(D), formerly §1562(c)(12)(D), title X, §10107(b)(1), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 269, 911. The act July 1, 1944, does not contain a section 2735.
CODIFICATIONThe text of section 300gg-1 of this title, which was amended and transferred to subsecs. (b) to (f) of this section by Pub. L. 111-148, §1201(3), was based on act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title XXVII, §2702, as added Pub. L. 104-191, title I, §102(a), Aug. 21, 1996, 110 Stat. 1961; amended Pub. L. 110-233, title I, §102(a)(1)-(3), May 21, 2008, 122 Stat. 888, 890.
PRIOR PROVISIONSA prior section 300gg-4, act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title XXVII, §2704, as added Pub. L. 104-204, title VI, §604(a)(3), Sept. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 2939, which related to standards relating to benefits for mothers and newborns, was renumbered section 2725 of act July 1, 1944, by Pub. L. 111-148, title I, §1001(2), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 130, and transferred to section 300gg-25 of this title.A prior section 2705 of act July 1, 1944, was renumbered section 2726 and is classified to section 300gg-26 of this title.Another prior section 2705 of act July 1, 1944, was successively renumbered by subsequent acts and transferred, see section 238d of this title.
AMENDMENTS2010- Pub. L. 111-148, §1201(3), transferred section 300gg-1 of this title to subsecs. (b) to (f) of this section after amending it by striking out the section catchline "Prohibiting discrimination against individual participants and beneficiaries based on health status", by striking subsec. (a) which prohibited discrimination against individual participants in group health plans based on certain health status-related factors, by amending subsec. (b) by substituting "health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage" for "health insurance issuer offering health insurance coverage in connection with a group health plan" in pars. (1) and (3)(B) and by inserting "or individual" after "employer" and "or individual health coverage, as the case may be" before semicolon in par. (2)(A), and by amending subsec. (e) by substituting "(a)(6)" for "(a)(1)(F)" and "300gg-3" for "300gg" and making technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to section 300gg-21(a) of this title.
STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES
EFFECTIVE DATESection effective for plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2014, see section 1255 of Pub. L. 111-148 set out as a note under section 300gg of this title.
- Secretary
- The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.1 See References in Text note below.
- project
- The terms "federally assisted housing" and "project" mean-(A) a public housing project (as such term is defined in section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)] );(B) housing for which project-based assistance is provided under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437f] ;(C) housing that is assisted under section 1701q of title 12;(D) housing that is assisted under section 1701q of title 12, as such section existed before November 28, 1990;(E) housing financed by a loan or mortgage insured under section 1715l(d)(3) of title 12 that bears interest at a rate determined under the proviso of section 1715l(d)(5) of title 12;(F) housing insured, assisted, or held by the Secretary or a State or State agency under section 1715z-1 of title 12;(G) housing constructed or substantially rehabilitated pursuant to assistance provided under section 8(b)(2) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 [42 U.S.C. 1437f(b)(2)], as in effect before October 1, 1983, that is assisted under a contract for assistance under such section; and(H) housing that is assisted under section 8013 1 of this title.