DNA testing

Just wondering if anyone knows the implications of DNA testing on income protection and life insurance? To clarify, I am interested in the Ancestry type tests that link with your family tree and lineage - not the ones that show your hereditary health risks and the like. I've done a bit of a Google but can't seem to find anything conclusive. Thoughts?

 

When i got insurance, I was asked if I've done a DNA test or am interested in doing one. My answer was NO.

Really depends on the insurer and ask your adviser to check with them. I think DNA based family tree lookup should not have an effect.

 

My Dad spent 20mins on Ancestry.com on the weekend and came over Sunday with a family tree
going back to 1760s England a perhaps further back to Germany. One strange thing came back - Ancestry.com told Dad the names of immediate relatives in Australia based on the DNA test..Most he know.Two he didnt know but he could now fit into a family tree.

I'm ****** at the tree he showed me. The name Packer or Hancock didnt appear anywhere.

The statistical correlation of past events and modern science have dubious links and doubtful any actually would take it seriously

 

Is ancestry.com the millenials version of the horoscope?

 

Beware! Cops can use DNA data to pick bad apples from your family tree.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/bew...es-from-your-family-tree-20180704-p4zpgj.html

 

Newton worked that out, so he started shooting apples off people's heads. Either way, he'd hit something off the tree.

 

This article says -

"All genetic test results known to an applicant at the time of a life insurance application must be disclosed if requested, including internet-based test results.

Once you have a result that indicates increased risk of disease, the life insurance company may use this against you (by increasing premiums, for instance), even if the scientific evidence isn't solid.

This applies to life, income protection, disability and even travel insurance."

Thinking about buying a DNA kit online? Read this first​

 

This is true. I never did any DNA testing, This comes under the "reasonably expected to know" clause for most policies anyway.

All the more reason to pick good quality underwritten insurance and stick with it

 

Read the policy application and the PDS very carefully. A recent travel insurance application considered 5 policies but we rejected two with silly requirements or exclusions that were not acceptable. One insurer wouldnt insure pre-existing conditions at all (outside their automatically covered list). And just because its a Allianz policy (for example) doesnt mean they are all the same !

Price is just part of the process.

 

Thanks for your replies. I will ask our broker and then decide from there.

 

The dont have any legal right to access private information. eg Medicare records. But in the application you do grant them access to contact medical providers and some (dodgy) ones are seeking authority to access Medicare records at the time of application. See the link below. Most claim forms ask for practitioners details and they can identify who to then request details from under the authority you give when you sign up and in the claim form. The death cert will also show some treating doctors details and any conditions you had which both caused or did not cause death. (often based on autopsy)

They have policies which say they can ask for them and if the information isnt provided they can decline the cover or refuse to insure (most rely on the "you didnt tell us" rule and deny a claim later).

Insurers accused of getting better access to Medicare data than patients

Many insurers annually access Medicare data to maintain a database for their later use. Since Medicare only keeps the past 5 years. The insurers are keeping it longer however.

Make s the online medical records a joke really. And why I opted out. And my finger prints are on file with the Aust Govt. All because I went to the USA.