Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Reports Findings in Healthcare Economics (Genetic risk scores in life insurance underwriting): Economics – Healthcare Economics

2021 DEC 09 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health & Medicine Business Daily -- New research on Economics - Healthcare Economics is the subject of a report. According to news reporting out of Amsterdam, Netherlands, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “Genetic tests that predict the lifetime risk of common medical conditions are fast becoming more accurate and affordable. The life insurance industry is interested in using predictive genetic tests in the underwriting process, but more research is needed to establish whether this nascent form of genetic testing can refine the process over conventional underwriting factors.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, “Here, we perform Cox regression of survival on a battery of genetic risk scores for common medical conditions and mortality risks in the Health and Retirement Study, without returning results to participants. Adjusted for covariates in a relevant insurance scenario, the scores could improve mortality risk classification by identifying 2.6 years shorter median lifespan in the highest decile of total genetic liability.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “We conclude that existing genetic risk scores can already improve life insurance underwriting, which stresses the urgency of policymakers to balance competing interests between stakeholders as this technology develops.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Genetic risk scores in life insurance underwriting. Journal of Health Economics, 2021;81:102556. Journal of Health Economics can be contacted at: Elsevier, Radarweg 29, 1043 Nx Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Journal of Health Economics - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-health-economics/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Richard Karlsson Linner, School of Business and Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam 1081HV, Netherlands.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102556. 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.

Publisher contact information for the Journal of Health Economics is: Elsevier, Radarweg 29, 1043 Nx Amsterdam, Netherlands.

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