Editor's note

If you’ve had a genetic test recently and discovered you’re at risk of, say, cancer, there’s a chance you may be denied life insurance. Or you might face higher premiums than others like you in every way bar the genetic test results. Knowing this, you might decide not to get your genes tested before applying for life insurance. Yet, this will mean you might miss out on valuable information about your health.

Many countries have imposed bans on insurance companies requesting genetic test results from life insurance applicants. But there are no such safeguards in Australia. Parliament is currently conducting an inquiry into the life insurance industry and as Jane Tiller and Paul Lacaze write, it’s time the government put in place some strict policies to protect consumers from insurers’ discrimination.

Sasha Petrova

Deputy Editor, Health + Medicine

Top story

Australia has a lack of regulation to prevent discrimination by life insurance companies based on genetic test results. from shutterstock.com

Australians can be denied life insurance based on genetic test results, and there is little protection

Jane Tiller, Monash University; Paul Lacaze, Monash University

Life insurance applicants must disclose genetic test results if required by the insurer. While other countries have protected consumers from this, there is no such regulation in Australia.

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