The British government has sanctioned insurance companies鈥� requests for the results of genetic tests. This makes Britain the first country to give official approval to insurers鈥� use of human genetic information to refuse cover or increase premiums.
Most insurance companies already ask for the results of tests for seven inherited diseases. These include Huntington鈥檚, early onset Alzheimer鈥檚 and inherited breast cancer.
The two tests for Huntington鈥檚 were the first to be considered for approval by the Genetics and Insurance Committee, set up by the Department of Health. Its decision that the tests are reliable was released on Friday, 13 October. Verdicts on tests for the six other diseases are due by June 2001.
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The verdicts will not carry any legal weight. 鈥淐ompanies can ask for results of these tests anyway,鈥� says Suzanne Moore of the Association of British Insurers. 鈥淏ut they are very unlikely to go against the committee鈥檚 decisions.鈥�
Some MPs have called for insurance companies to be banned from seeing genetic test results. They fear that some people may be refused life insurance and mortgages on the basis of their genes. 鈥淚n the end this is all about money,鈥� says Labour MP Ian Gibson.
Higher premiums
鈥淐ompanies only ask to see the results of tests that have already been taken,鈥� stresses Moore. 鈥淭hey do not ask potential customers to take genetic tests. And we are saying they never will.鈥�
But there are fears that government approval for testing may lead to much higher premiums for people who carry the wrong genes.
鈥淲e are also worried that it will discourage people from taking the test at all,鈥� says Anna Bradley of the National Consumer Council. 鈥淚t does raise the question of whether the government should make sure people rejected for insurance are provided for.鈥�
In the US, the federal government and its agencies are banned from using genetic information to discriminate against employees. There are plans to extend these laws to private companies and insurers.
If the Genetics and Insurance Committee rules that any of the tests currently used by insurance companies are unreliable, the ABI has pledged to refund people who have paid higher premiums based on the results.
It also claims that testing will mean lower premiums for some clients. Anyone with a family history of an inherited disorder found not to carry the relevant gene could start paying less, says Moore.
鈥淧eople are already asked to give full details of any family history of disease,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his has been the case since the 17th century. Using results from genetic tests is only an extension of that.鈥�
John Durant, chairman of the Genetics and Insurance Committee, says: 鈥淢any who have a family history of a genetic disorder such as Huntingdon鈥檚 Disease have difficulty in obtaining insurance.
鈥淭he approval of the two tests for Huntingdon鈥檚 Disease will allow insurance to be provided at normal rates to those who have a normal test result.鈥�
Political damage
There are no legal barriers to stop insurance companies asking people with a family history of a disease to take a genetic test. But the ABI has pledged that companies will not do this.
鈥淧olitically, it would be very damaging if they did,鈥� says Gary Gillott of the independent Genetic Interest Group in London. 鈥淲e would be the first to throw rocks at them. But there is no indication that they will.鈥�
He points out that there may be ways around any new rulings. 鈥淐lients are only asked to disclose the results of tests prior to them taking out a policy,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 would say get insurance sorted out before you take a test.鈥�
Not all insurance companies ask to see genetic test results. 鈥淲e say we don鈥檛 want to see them unless they are in the client鈥檚 favour,鈥� says John Gibb of Standard Life. But he adds that the Committee鈥檚 verdicts could mean changes in their policy.
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