The Lords Want to Extend Genetic Moratorium

Currently there is a moratorium on health insurance companies taking genetic testing into account (apart from life insurance claims over £500,000 and critical illness claims of over £300,000) when they work out a person's risk. This stands until 2014 but a new report from the House of Lords is asking that this timescale be extended and that tests taken during the moratorium are not counted as part of risk assessment.

Dr Helen Wallace of GeneWatch UK, says:

'There are women deciding whether to take the test now who do not know if they will buy insurance later on and whether at that point the moratorium will have ended and there will be a requirement from the insurance industry to see the results. The medical decision that you take may be influenced by knowing whether or not the insurance industry will have access.'

It appears that the UK is out of step with other countries. In the US, Sweden and France there is legislation that prevents insurers using genetic tests to hike up medical insurance premiums.

The House of Lords Report went on to say that there needs to be a code of conduct developed around genomic medecine and that the government need to review the subject as it is a rapidly changing area.

One area which has recently grown is postal genetic tests available from the United States. This is a very controversial area as it is widely thought that genetic tests need to be looked at with genetic counsellors. Furthermore lifestyle factors play a huge role in the management of health.

Overall the private testing companies welcome the House of Lords report's finding that there needs to be more regulation.

Brian Whitley, founder of GeneticHealth, a UK genetic testing company said:

'It is completely wrong to give people results without offering counselling.'

It remains to be seen whether the health insurance market will put pressure on the government to ignore the House of Lords recommendation to extend the 2014 moratorium further.