Genetic testing
For insurers, an individual’s physical health and ways of behaving are important factors for considering risk management and calculating your premium.
When it comes to related genetic information, there are restrictions on when and how insurers will ask for and use this information.
A genetic test is a medical test that identifies the content of your DNA. The results of a genetic test can confirm or rule out a suspected genetic condition or help determine your chance of getting or passing on a genetic condition.
Genetic test results, like other test results, can help insurers to assess your risk and set the level of cover and the cost of the premium you will have to pay.
Genetic tests can be used to diagnose or predict a genetic condition.
The Government and ABI’s Code on genetic testing and insurance sets out the way that genetic test results can be used. It makes sure that consumers can take out significant amounts of insurance without having to disclose the results and that insurance companies are able to use the information they need to assess and price the risks of customers.
Resources
Discover our guides, reports, free-to-use tools and download our data release schedule
FAQs
Why might an insurer ask for my consent to view my medical record, and what can the insurance company ask my GP?
The majority of life, critical illness and income protection insurance is based upon the information obtained on the application form, without any referral to GPs. In some cases, insurance companies may seek your consent to obtain a medical report from your GP as part of your application. In these circumstances, the insurer needs certain information from your GP to assess your application properly so that they make an informed decision regarding accepting or declining the application and charging the correct premium.
In applications for life insurance, the insurer is only interested in the diagnosis, treatment, severity and prognosis of a condition that could reduce your life expectancy. For critical illness insurance, the insurer is generally only interested in information about any of the conditions covered, and other health factors that affect the likelihood of you developing the conditions covered. For income protection insurance, the insurer is concerned with medical conditions that cause long-term absence from work.
Your GP will be told not to include any predictive genetic test results in their report to the insurer. If it is included, it will be ignored by the insurer.
Your insurer will not ask your GP about your participation in research projects.
Your insurer may ask your GP about the medical history of your first degree relatives. However, this information will only include what you have disclosed to your GP as part of your own medical records, and will only be in relation to a specific set of conditions.
What route does an insurer use to access my medical records?
When applying for insurance, should an insurer require further information, the applicant will typically be asked to complete a form that provides their consent for the insurer to obtain relevant medical information from their GP. This is performed in accordance with the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988 (AMRA), which determines how insurers, and other third parties, should request medical information from GPs and must include the explicit consent of the applicant.
AMRA is applicable to Wales, Scotland and England. In Northern Ireland, a request is made under the Access to Personal Files and Medical Reports (Northern Ireland) Order 1991. These two acts give insurers the correct legal route to obtain medical information.
Can I view my medical report before it is sent to the insurance company?
Yes, you have a right to request to view your medical report before it is sent to the insurance company. Under the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988, you also have a right to:
- amend the report if it is factually incorrect or contains information that is not relevant to your application (including the results of predictive genetic tests);
- tell the GP not to send the report to the insurer (which may affect your application); and,
- view the report up to 6 months after it has been sent to the insurer.
How do I view my own medical records?
When I apply for insurance do I have to offer any additional information that is not requested on the form?
No. However, you must answer all questions on the application form honestly and accurately. Regarding the health details of relatives, you only need to disclose what has been requested and that you know about. If you are unsure about your family history of a specific condition, you do not need to seek out this information.
