Health professionals are now calling for a ban on genetic discrimination by insurance companies. Photo: AFP
A top geneticist is calling for a ban on insurance companies' ability to use generic tests to justify lifting premiums or denying insurance cover.
Director for the Centre for Cancer Research at the University of Auckland, Professor Andrew Shelling, told Morning Report people were being put off having the tests by the danger of insurers doing so. It meant those at risk of diseases due to genetic disposition weren't able to accessing potentially life-saving health interventions.
Shelling said New Zealand was out of step of other other countries, like Canada, which had banned insurance companies from using the tests.
His comments come after a survey of 23 testing professionals found half had patients who reported genetic discrimination, with some patients refusing tests in case it affected their insurance.
The New Zealand Medical Journal article was published on Friday.
The authors, including members of Against Genetic Discrimination Aotearoa, aimed to document their experiences and concerns about the potential misuse of the information.
"They can legally asked for and use genetic test results for underwriting decisions, and it might mean that they actually deny access to health and life insurance, or increase their premiums," Shelling said.
We're the last country of similar types that's allowing this to happen in our country. And most of us don't think that's right. - Professor Andrew Shelling
"As a result of that it's putting people off having these life saving genetic tests, and affecting the future health and well being."
Shelling said health professionals in New Zealand had been using genetic testing for a variety of different conditions, including cancer, cardiac disease, neurological problems, and a whole range of different disorders.
"Progressively over the last few years, we've developed quite an arsenal of, of genetic tests that can really make a huge difference in people's lives.. where early detection of these can can lead to much better outcomes and tips, early screening and detection and surgery can make a dramatic impact on somebody's health risk in the future."
People who didn't have these tests because they feared the potential consequences of heath insurers denying cover or increasing costs were being denied the opportunity of health intervention that could potentially safe their lives, Shelling said.
It was a situation other governments across the world were not tolerating, he added.
"New Zealand's completely out of step. We're the last country of similar types that's allowing this to happen in our country. And most of us don't think that's right."
"This publication shows that over half of our health professionals see that people either delay or refuse having genetic tests."
Shelling said government needed to introduce legislation and a ban, something Canada had already introduced.
"We've been left behind, and I don't think any New Zealanders like the idea that we have significant behind our colleagues and other countries around the world."