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Bill

SB 757

Disability and Life Insurance - Medical Information (Genetic Testing Protection Act)

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Alonzo Washington

Maryland bill prohibits disability and life insurers from requiring genetic testing or using genetic information in coverage decisions to prevent discrimination based on genetic predisposition.

Referred Rules and Executive Nominations
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Bill Summary · SB 757

Legislative bill overview

SB 757 prohibits disability and life insurance companies from requiring or requesting genetic testing as a condition of coverage and prevents them from using genetic test results to deny coverage or set premium rates. The bill aligns Maryland law with federal protections under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) while extending similar safeguards specifically to the disability and life insurance markets.

Why is this important

Genetic testing can reveal predispositions to serious health conditions, and without protections, insurers could use this information to deny coverage or charge prohibitively high premiums to individuals based on future risk rather than current health status. This bill prevents genetic discrimination in insurance markets, allowing people to obtain life and disability coverage based on actual health rather than genetic risk profiles, which is particularly important as genetic testing becomes more common and affordable.

Potential points of contention

  • Insurance industry concerns: Insurers may argue that genetic information is actuarially relevant and that restrictions limit their ability to accurately price risk, potentially leading to higher premiums for all policyholders
  • Scope of protections: Questions about whether the protections are sufficiently broad or if there are loopholes (e.g., whether family medical history inquiries are still permitted as a workaround)
  • Balance between consumer protection and market function: Debate over whether prohibiting genetic information unfairly shifts risk assessment burden away from individual applicants and toward broader insurance pools

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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