Insurers grapple with increasing genetic testing

It is something that Australia is currently discussing. Family history would still be required and underwritten for.

"I think this approach makes a lot of sense, as long as the limits apply in the aggregate across the industry so consumers cannot purchase maximum non-genetic test limits from a number of companies, bypassing the limits in order to anti-select," Partners Life managing director Naomi Ballantyne said.

She said it meant incidental genetic findings would not impact underwriting for smaller covers, but for larger covers anti-selection by the consumer could be identified, "as can significant increased genetic risks which other customers should not be subsidising".

It comes as researchers in Australia released the results of a survey of Australian life insurers.