Studies from University of Sydney Further Understanding of Public Health (Genetics and Insurance in Australia: Concerns around a Self-Regulated…

Health & Medicine Week

Studies from University of Sydney Further Understanding of Public Health (Genetics and Insurance in Australia: Concerns around a Self-Regulated Industry)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health & Medicine Week -- New research on Health and Medicine - Public Health is the subject of a report. According to news reporting out of Sydney, Australia, by NewsRx editors, research stated, "Regulating the use of genetic information in insurance is an issue of ongoing international debate. In Australia, providers of life and other mutually rated insurance products can request applicants to disclose all results from any genetic test."

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Sydney, "Insurers can then use this information to adjust premiums and make policy decisions. The Australian Financial Services Council (FSC; an industry body) developed and maintains the relevant industry standard, which was updated in late 2016. Aims/Objective: To review the 2016 FSC Standard in light of relevant research and determine the legitimacy of the Australian regulatory environment regarding use of genetic information by insurers. We identified five concerns arising from the 2016 FSC Standard: (1) use of results obtained from research; (2) the requirement for an applicant to disclose whether they are 'considering' a genetic test; (3) failure to account for genome sequencing and other technology developments; (4) limited evidence regarding adverse selection; and (5) the inappropriateness of industry self-regulation. Industry self-regulation of the use of genetic information by life insurers, combined with a lack of government oversight, is inappropriate and threatens to impede the progress of genomic medicine in Australia."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "At this critical time, Australia requires closer government oversight of the use of genetic information in insurance."

For more information on this research see: Genetics and Insurance in Australia: Concerns around a Self-Regulated Industry. Public Health Genomics, 2017;():. (Karger - www.karger.com/; Public Health Genomics - content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=JournalHome&ProduktNr=224224)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting A.J. Newson, Sydney Health Ethics, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Additional authors for this research include J. Tiller, L.A. Keogh, M. Otlowski and P. Lacaze (see also Health and Medicine - Public Health).

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1159/000481450. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

Keywords for this news article include: Sydney, Public Health, Health and Medicine, Australia and New Zealand.