Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Commentary
  • Published:

Genetics and insurance in Britain: why more than just the Atlantic divides the English-speaking nations

Nature Genetics volume 20, pages 119–121 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

The British Government's official advisory committee on genetics has recommended a moratorium on the disclosure of genetic test results for life insurance until predictions based on such tests can be validated as actuarially important. In contrast, the trade association of the British insurance industry believes that genetic tests relating to eight conditions can yield information useful for life insurance. Although the Government has yet to respond, the debate is already moving on to genetic testing and the funding of health care for the elderly.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. The implications of genetic testing for insurance. (Human Genetics Advisory Committee, London, December, 1997).

  2. Dr Virginia Warren, BUPA, Private Communication.

  3. Human genetics: the science and its consequences. para. 250 (Third Report of the Science and Technology Committee of the of Commons, London, July 1995).

  4. Harper, P. Insurance and Genetic Testing. Lancet 341, 224–227 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Genetic testing ABI code of practice. (Association of British Insurers, London, December, 1997).

  6. Genetic screening ethical issues. (Nuffield Council on Bioethics, London, December 1993).

  7. MacDonald, A. How will improved forecasts of individual lifetimes affect underwriting? Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society 352, 1067–1075 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomedical Ethics, the Wellcome Trust. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the policy of the Wellcome Trust, 210 Euston Rd., London, NW1 2BE, UK

    Tom Wilkie

Authors
  1. Tom Wilkie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wilkie, T. Genetics and insurance in Britain: why more than just the Atlantic divides the English-speaking nations. Nat Genet 20, 119–121 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/2416

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/2416

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing