Concerns mount over genetics and insurance

The British government is boosting access to genetic services available to patients through its National Health Service but also plans to intervene to stop the growth of a potentially uninsurable genetic underclass in the face of growing concerns about the speed of developments. Last month, a committee of MPs called for a two-year moratorium on the use of further genetic tests by insurers to allow time for the proper assessment of the implications. The government has so far approved only one genetic test, for Huntington's disease, and although the British insurance industry has handled only a small number of cases involving genetic testing, cases are likely to soar over the next decade as more tests are developed and there are widespread concerns about the insurance industry's approach to the issues. In a critical report on the secrecy, irresponsibility and ineptitude of the insurance industry's handling of such a sensitive subject, the MPs accuse insurance firms of misleading them over the extent to which they were already using test results to assess premiums. The cross-party science select committee accuses insurers of being " far more interested in establishing their future right to use genetic test results in assessing premiums, than in whether or not they are reliable or relevant. " The MPs also attack the government for failing to regulate, leading to an 'atmosphere of confusion and ignorance'. It also warns that regulatory bodies are either under-funded or inappropriately contain representatives from the insurance industry. During the inquiry, two insurance companies changed their evidence and admitted they were using tests not approved by the government's Genetics and Insurance Committee (GIAC) which regulates the field. " Many insurance companies have failed to make their policy on the use of tests clear and have given the impression that they do not want people to know what they are doing, or do not fully understand their own policy, " said Michael Clark, chairman of the committee of MPs. The Human Genetics Commission, a body charged with advising ministers, is already studying the future of insurance. It is likely to recommend that high-risk subscribers should be able to receive protection from a reinsurance pool, probably through some form of government subsidy. The commission looked at reinsurance as a 'middle way' between public opposition to companies having any access to tests and the companies' contrary view. The government is already aware of some of the problems …