Key Documents
In 2019, Australia’s life insurance industry introduced a partial moratorium on the requirement to disclose genetic test results. The moratorium arose due to concerns that individuals would not undertake genetic testing for fear of negatively impacting their ability to obtain affordable life insurance.
There are emerging concerns that the industry-led partial moratorium continues to discourage consumers from participating in both established clinical genetic testing, which may identify a need for potentially life-saving treatment, and medical research involving genetic testing.
The 2023 Australian Genetics & Life Insurance Moratorium: Monitoring the Effectiveness & Response (A-GLIMMER) report documented stakeholder concerns and experiences with genetic test results and life insurance.
Addressing these concerns requires review of the regulatory framework for the use of genetic testing in life insurance underwriting. This consultation paper seeks feedback on both the impacts of life insurers utilising genetic test results in underwriting on genetic testing and research, as well as a range of potential policy responses.