GENETIC INFORMATION AND LIFE-INSURANCE - A PROPOSAL FOR AN ETHICAL EUROPEAN POLICY

Developments in molecular biology will enable development of tests for genetic predisposition to multifactorial diseases. People identified with increased risk might be able to prevent or delay the onset of ill ness by medical treatment and/or changing their environmental exposure . But tests might also help organizations, such as employers, insurers , and government bodies, to minimize their future economic risks. This article searches for an ethical and feasible European policy for the use of genetic information in life insurance. IL first argues that gen etic information is not so relevantly different from at least one othe r kind of medical information, that of HIV infection, that it justifie s unlike policy treatment. European life insurance is then claimed to be a non-primary social good which should be handled by the private ma rket. The problem of adverse selection is argued to be a reasonably se rious threat. Insurers should therefore be allowed to demand some gene tic risk information in order to secure the sustainability of insuranc e schemes. However, the moral principles and values of autonomy, priva cy, non-discrimination, non-deterrence, solidarity and confidentiality , put limits on insurers justified information demands. The article en ds up advocating a regime of limited community-rated private life insu rance, first proposed by a Dutch committee. It stipulates that insurer s should be forbidden to demand genetic tests as a condition for an in surance contract, but be allowed to ask for existing genetic informati on when the sought insurance cover is above a certain limit.