What are the ethical and social issues surrounding insurance and genetic information?
Insurance providers obtain genetic information directly from those who are seeking insurance coverage. This information is often obtained through a questionnaire regarding personal medical history (which includes genetic diseases) and family medical history (which includes hereditary diseases). Insurance providers also have access to all sources of medical information for which access has been authorized by the insurance candidate. When such authorization is granted, the consultation of medical files will reveal any genetic information contained therein. At this time, there is no Canadian legislation specifically addressing the requirement of genetic testing as a prerequisite for insurance. The policy of insurance companies is typically to not require insurance applicants to undergo genetic testing. Nonetheless, if such a test has already been undertaken, the insurance provider could ask for access to the results. Such an approach is coherent with policy developed by the Canadian Life
