Genetic testing for Alzheimer's and long-term care insurance.

A genetic marker known as apolipoprotein E provides a clear signal of a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and thus that person's future need for long-term care. People who find that they have the variant of the trait that increases Alzheimer's disease risk are more likely to purchase long-term care insurance after receiving this information. If the information is widely introduced into the insurance market, coverage rates could be affected in different ways, depending on who possesses that information. Policymakers will eventually need to confront the issue of the use of this and other markers in the pricing of long-term care insurance.