Life insurers are calling for the Federal Government to give Australians more certainty on the future of its ban on the use of genetic test results in insurance underwriting.
The Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) and its 20 members fully support the move to strict Government regulation, which was announced in September this year.
The life insurance industry joins advocates of the ban who have renewed calls this week for the Government to introduce legislation as soon as possible in this parliamentary term.
“Government legislation is critical to ensuring that all Australians have the confidence to get a genetic test without worrying about any future impacts on their ability to get the life insurance cover they need,” said CALI CEO Christine Cupitt.
“We’ve long been clear about the need for strict Government regulation to ensure that no one is deterred from taking a genetic test to proactively manage their health,” she said.
“Australians want this to happen and so does our industry. It is important the Government acts to remove uncertainty in the community by introducing the ban before the next election.”
Until the Government ban is legislated, the current mandatory industry standard to control the use of genetic tests by life insurers will remain in place.
The industry looks forward to contributing to the development of the legislation so that all Australians have the confidence they need to proactively manage their health.
“With genetic testing becoming more prevalent, it’s clear that the community needs and expects Government regulation as soon as possible.”