Some people considering genetic testing are concerned about discrimination due to their results. Genetic discrimination occurs when people are treated differently because they have a genetic variant that increases their risk of an inherited condition. When you register at MSK for the first time, you will receive a notice of our privacy practices. This includes who will have access to your medical records and for what purposes your records may need to be accessed. Genetic test results and medical records are kept confidential at MSK. However, they may be disclosed to other healthcare providers at your request. They may also be disclosed to insurance companies and other individuals or entities authorized to access your medical records. Your genetic counselor can clarify who will have access to your test results. We cannot fully guarantee that no one will ever try to use your genetic test results against you. A federal law called the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) protects people who have had genetic testing from health insurance and employment discrimination. GINA does not protect against this discrimination with other forms of insurance, such as life, disability, or long-term care insurance. People with or without a personal history of cancer may wish to speak with an expert about the potential for genetic discrimination before being tested.