An at-home DNA test solved the problem track my family tree back six generations, despite the fact that my mother was adopted. Seeing the map of my ancestry was exciting and illuminating. We even attended a household reunion having a branch of our family we never might have discovered. It had been an incredible thing. And today, at home DNA tests can do more than ever before, assisting you understand your full health picture or informing your way of life choices.
But using the proliferation of detailed DNA data that may potentially reveal future health risks, people are understandably starting to ask important questions about how their personal data may be used. And, specifically, how could these data points impact them later on.
The federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act prohibits medical health insurance companies from determining your premium pricing based on your genetic data. However, other forms of insurance – like life insurance coverage – are not required to disregard that data whether it results in their desk.
It's important to understand how insights from genetic or DNA tests could be used in the life insurance application process now or in years to come.
How do life insurance companies use genetic data?
Currently, life insurance coverage companies rarely ask for DNA tests within the application process. State regulators have strict rules in position to help prevent life insurance buyers from being prematurely punished for health conditions that may exist at some stage in their lives.
At Haven Life, for example, we don't inquire about or proactively seek out DNA or dna testing within the application for the Haven Term policy, which is underwritten and from our parent company MassMutual.
Where the outcomes of DNA tests could be revealed, though, is throughout the medical underwriting process. When you are purchasing a medically underwritten life insurance coverage (often probably the most affordable types of coverage), a life insurance company is analyzing lifestyle and health information to determine an interest rate for the coverage. Depending on what's based in the application and underwriting process, the insurer may need to request medical records out of your doctor to understand a little more about your health. If DNA or genetic exams are included in your medical records, an underwriter can include that information as part of his or her evaluation.
For example, tests like BRCA, which searches for mutations in cancer of the breast susceptibility genes, in many cases are contained in medical records. Or, if you took medical action on is a result of a DNA test to prevent, treat or test for any health concern, that may be also uncovered.
While it is possible an existence insurance provider could come across these test leads to your medical records, it doesn't suggest it'll have an adverse impact on premium pricing. In fact, a family history of cancer of the breast could weigh less heavily should you tested negative for that BRCA gene.
How can you protect your DNA data?
As with all of sensitive private information, spending time to know the way your data could be used and to protect it is always a pragmatic move.
Before taking any genetic tests, read privacy policies carefully. Some at-home tests allow the providers to sell your genetic data, which could place your most private information at the disposal of entities you don't know or didn't directly approve of.
When you are looking at genetic tests by your medical provider, doctors happen to be at the forefront of patient education with regards to the possibility ramifications of test results. Even though it is highly unlikely your doctors would recommend avoiding an important test due to privacy concerns, they are able to help you comprehend the impact it might have later on.
The realm of readily available dna testing continues to be very new. While your DNA doesn't change, the science behind it is evolving at a rapid pace. Today, using dna testing in the life insurance application process isn't norm, but i am not saying it won't be used 5, 10, 15 or Two decades from now.
Your DNA data
Taking a DNA test can present you with a lot of positive insights to you. You can track your unknown heritage and visit the town where your great-grandparents were married. Or identify potential health risks before they happen and obtain the information you need to live your health. They are fascinating good reasons to take a DNA test.
Concerns about data privacy shouldn't stop you from being familiar with yourself. But it's always a good idea to be familiar with how your data can be utilized today or in the near future to avoid any unwanted surprises.
The opinions expressed in the following paragraphs would be the author's own. Haven Life Insurance Agency offers this as educational information only. Haven Life doesn't provide legal or medical advice, which information shouldn't be relied upon as a result. Individuals are encouraged to talk to their own legal advisors and doctors.
