April 16, 2008

Dear Senator:

On behalf of RetireSafe’s nearly 400,000 senior citizen supporters across America, we strongly urge you to support the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), H.R. 493, and all of the procedural motions necessary to ensure its success. The Older Americans we represent will benefit enormously from the passage of this desperately-needed legislation. The time to act is now!

The current lack of federal legal protections against the misuse of genetic information has restricted individuals’ access to health information and clinical trials. Fear of the misuse of genetic information limits access to genetic tests. Refusal to utilize effective genetic tests hinders the ability of individuals to learn important medical information, which they could use to proactively manage their health. Fear of discrimination also causes a large number of people to opt out of clinical trials. This lack of participation in research has a negative impact on researchers, clinicians, and industry, slowing the research and development process for targeted drugs and treatments. In order to fully promote personalized medicine and the use of genetic information in healthcare, we must pass GINA today.

There should be no controversy or delay regarding this legislation. The Senate passed it unanimously in the 108th and 109th Congresses. In addition, the House of Representatives passed GINA by an astonishing 420-3 vote last year. This legislation has strong bipartisan support and the backing of hundreds of organizations including disease advocates, industry, academia, clinicians, researchers, and community groups.

Again, on behalf of RetireSafe’s nearly 400,000 senior citizen supporters, we strongly urge you to support GINA and to work to make it law.

Sincerely,

Michelle Plasari
President