Insurers discriminate unfairly on basis of genetic information

In 1996, the Wellcome Trust surveyed 7000 members of support groups for people with genetic disorders in Britain to find out about their experiences with insurers and other service providers. On p 1632 Low et al examine genetic discrimination in the life insurance industry. Their study identified a subgroup (533 respondents) with no adverse actuarial risk on genetic grounds, but 13% of whom reported treatment which seemed to represent unjustified discrimination. Insurers do not seem to operate a consistent policy for assessing genetic information or to act in accord with the actuarial risks brought to them. This may result from error rather than genetic discrimination.


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Relevant Article

Genetic discrimination in life insurance: empirical evidence from a cross sectional survey of genetic support groups in the United Kingdom

Lawrence Low, Suzanne King, and Tom Wilkie
BMJ 1998 317: 1632-1635. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]