The Australian Medical Association has called for an end to genetic discrimination in life insurance.
The AMA’s calls for a legislated ban on the practice.
The submission says genetic discrimination in life insurance is known to be a barrier for many people, stopping them from undertaking genetic testing and participating in genomic research for the benefit of future populations.
The AMA says genetic testing and genomic research can identify a need for potentially life-saving treatment, but consumers are discouraged from participating out of fear of being frozen out of insurance cover if a genetic risk is uncovered.
Genetic testing and genomic research have the capacity to rapidly transform healthcare in Australia by potentially providing more cost-effective treatment options and improving patient outcomes by identifying a need for treatment before an issue arises.
The AMA notes the industry has placed its own partial moratorium on the requirement to disclose genetic test results, but a legislated ban is needed to give consumers absolute certainty that their genetic status won’t be used by insurers to freeze them out of certain levels of cover.
Under the current moratorium, life insurance providers are still able to ask for and use genetic test results if the total amount of cover in an application exceeds certain monetary thresholds. The moratorium is also industry led, raising concerns about self-regulation.
The AMA’s outlines a range of policy positions to reduce and eliminate genetic discrimination.
