Britain鈥檚 insurance companies bowed to mounting pressure last week by
announcing they would only ask for genetic test results from people applying for
life policies worth over 拢300,000.
Earlier in the week, the Human Genetics Commission, a government-appointed
advisory body, had demanded a three-year ban for all policies under
拢500,000. In a report, the commission expressed fears that unfettered use
of such tests would create a 鈥済enetic underclass鈥� denied life insurance because
they are more likely than most to become ill. The commission is also dubious
about the usefulness of many tests. 鈥淥ur consultations have shown very real
public concern on the issue of genetics and insurance,鈥� says Helena Kennedy, the
lawyer who chairs the commission. 鈥淲e have profound misgivings about the
industry鈥檚 handling of this information and its ability to keep its own house in
辞谤诲别谤.鈥�
In April, a select committee of MPs found that the industry was failing to
observe the voluntary code of practice on genetic testing introduced by the
Association of British Insurers. According to this code, insurers can鈥檛 ask
people to take tests, but they can ask them to divulge the results of any tests
they鈥檝e taken. However, they can only request the results of tests approved by
the government鈥檚 Genetics and Insurance Committee.
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So far, the GAIC has only approved one test, for Huntington鈥檚 disease. But
companies admitted to MPs that they have been asking customers for results of
other tests as well. The GAIC is currently assessing tests for genes linked with
breast cancer and a rare form of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. The commission says that
the relevance of such tests is unclear: 鈥淭here remains a great deal of
uncertainty about the interpretation of many genetic tests.鈥�
