If you had your appendix out recently, does your insurer need to know? Different rules apply depending on the type of insurance. Here’s what you need to know.
- Ethical, Legal & Social Adviser in Public Health Genomics, Monash University
People could take a genetic test to gauge their future risk of disease without worrying their life insurers would penalise them.
Pharmacogenomic testing can tell how a drug is likely to work in a certain person. But is it ready for rolling out to the wider population?
Life insurance companies can legally use the results of genetic tests to decline coverage or increase premiums. MPs have called for legislation that bans this practice.
Australia risks being left behind in the genomic medicine revolution by failing to protect individuals from genetic discrimination.
New Zealand is out of step with the rest of the world in its consumer protection against genetic discrimination in insurance.
A US judge has allowed police access to the major DNA database without users’ consent (including Australian users). It’s a timely reminder that we urgently need genetic privacy legislation.
We asked five experts if DNA testing was worthwhile. Four out of five said yes.
As DNA testing becomes cheaper, it becomes more feasible to screen large numbers of healthy people for their risk of disease.
Because genetic changes that cause cause health complications can be hereditary, the information affects not only the person with the mutation but also their biological relatives.
Online genetic testing promises many things. Some are the stuff of fantasy, while others, even if scientifically feasible, still carry risks. Consider these five things before ordering a test.
Life insurance applicants must disclose genetic test results if required by the insurer. While other countries have protected consumers from this, there is no such regulation in Australia.
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