In Australia, a study published in the journal Public health research and practice[1] showed that life insurance companies is able to use and does use genetic test results to deny an applicant coverage or increase premium costs “.
Genetic testing allows doctors to identify possible health risks to a person, but insurers may also have access to it, despite recommendations from a 2018 parliamentary inquiry into the sector.
Following this study, the researchers called on the Commonwealth to implement new laws to protect consumers from access to their genetic information by insurance companies. In the UK, insurance companies do not have access to the results of genetic tests, except for people with Huntington’s disease (cf. England: she is not informed about her father’s genetic disease, she is suing the ‘hospital’).
[1] Tiller J, Lacaze P, Otlowski M. The Australian moratorium on genetics and life insurance: evaluation of policy compared with parliamentary recommendations regarding genetic discrimination. Public health practice. 2022;32(4):e3242235 https://doi.org/10.17061/phrp3242235
Source: The Canberra Times (12/12/2022) – Photo: iStock