No Life Insurance Discrimination For Those With a Genetic Condition

Following the recommendations of a report led by Monash University’s Dr Jane Tiller and Professor Paul Lacaze, the Australian Government has today announced that it will legislate to completely ban the use of genetic test results in life insurance underwriting.

Consistent with the recommendations, the Government has announced that the Australian ban will not be subject to any financial limits, caps or exceptions, and will be reviewed after five years. Dr Tiller, who was lead author of the Monash report, said a ban without exceptions was vital to provide consumers with certainty about the protection of their genetic information into the future. “Our research has shown that the fear of insurance discrimination deters people from having genetic testing that could save their lives, or from participating in important genetic research. 

Today’s announcement marks a decisive step by the Government to ensure Australians can make genetic testing decisions based on health needs, not financial implications,” Dr Tiller said. Dr Tiller, a Monash University Ethical, Legal and Social Adviser in Public Health Genomics, said today’s announcement followed extensive stakeholder consultation. She commended Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones’ commitment to consumer-first policy.