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By Knight Kiplinger

The Kiplinger Washington Editors

July 2, 2009

By year-end or so, Congress will give the nod to a major rewriting of the nation's financial regulatory system. This week’s Kiplinger Letter explores whether the package will do more harm than good and what lawmakers are likely to include.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: The Economy, Business Costs, Taxes, Supreme Court, Energy, Workplace Regulations, Climate Change, Health Care Legislation and Foreign Policy

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I just attended a franchise seminar. The speaker represents a few hundred franchises that (he says) are hand picked. He has the prospect (aka victim?) answer some questions about themselves then he makes recomendations - based on your personality, capital situation, etc.. If you pick a franchise, then he does some due dilligence for you. If you both decide it's a good idea, he helps you get started. He says he offers this service free of charge, which means he gets a commission if he's able to sell you a franchise. Has anyone done this? Successfully? Unsuccessfully?

-- fender

How to Comply with Genetic Privacy Rules

Employers need to review policies and rules to make sure they won't violate a genetic privacy law taking effect next year. Here's what to do.

Worth Reading: The Quick Take from Kiplinger

September 2008

Linn F. Freedman

Nixon Peabody LLP

Linn F. Freedman is an attorney with Nixon Peabody LLP whose expertise is health care law and litigation. She focuses on health information technology (HIT) and chairs the firm's Health Information Technology (HIT) group. Nixon Peabody has 700 attorneys practicing in 18 offices worldwide, including Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Washington.

One of the major advances in health care is the ability to detect and act upon genetic information. A predilection toward a particular condition or disease can be crucial information for both patients and their doctors. However, many people fear that such information could be used against them by employers, health insurers or others and are reluctant to undergo genetic testing or share genetic information with health care professionals.

To guard against such misuse, Congress passed the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (GINA) this year. It takes effect in November 2009 and -- after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission adopts regulations earlier in 2009 -- employers should ensure that they will be in compliance with the new law.

Linn Freedman, an attorney specializing in health privacy and information law with Nixon Peabody, provides a checklist of areas for employers to make sure their policies and procedures do not make them vulnerable to litigation. Her list includes updating company policies and handbooks; setting up a training program and reviewing record-keeping procedures, wellness programs and health insurance.

Freedman tells employers there is no reason to fret about the law. More than a year of lead time "gives employers plenty of time to review their policies and procedures to make sure they are ready and in compliance," she writes. "In most cases, this will not be a difficult or burdensome process."

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