FREE HEALTH INSURANCE QUOTES Start here...

Select Insurance Type:

Individual Health Family Health Group Health Small Business Health Short Term Health Medicare Supplemental Travel Insurance

Zip code:

At the Johns Hopkins Gazette, a new study finds that individuals with genetic conditions are twice as likely to report having been denied health insurance than individuals with other chronic illnesses.

And while these findings aren't necessarily surprising, they are still very disheartening.

In the study, more than 27% of individuals with genetic conditions and serious medical conditions reported having been denied health insurance or offered it at a ridiculously high rate.

The Americans with Disabilities Act makes discrimination against persons with disabilities illegal, which includes those with a genetically related condition. And the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act expressly forbids a group health insurance plan from using genetic information to establish rules for eligibility or continued eligibility; however, it's clear that discrimination is happening here.

Those who did get affordable health insurance did so either through their employer, or a spouse. But, for those searching for individual health insurance, finding a policy that they can afford requires a lot of patience, good luck, and time spent shopping around.