Australian life insurers have welcomed the passage of a new law that bans genetic discrimination and gives people confidence on genetic testing.
The Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) said in a statement that the passage of the federal law to ban any discrimination on the basis of genetic tests will give Australians more confidence about getting a genetic test, knowing it can’t be used in insurance underwriting.
The legislation was passed in the Australian Senate on 1 April 2026 and bans the use of predictive genetic test results when assessing a person’s application for insurance cover. The release said CALI has long supported the responsible use of genetic test results to empower people to better manage their health in a preventative way.
CALI CEO Ms Christine Cupitt said, “Our industry is incredibly proud to play such an important role in giving Australians certainty about their future. For years, we have been clear that no one should be deterred from taking a genetic test that gives them more information about their overall health. As life insurers, we want people to access the information they need to make informed choices about their health and to manage it proactively.”
Back in 2019, the life insurance industry took voluntary action to introduce a mandatory standard to restrict the use of predictive genetic test results in underwriting.
CALI also said the rapid evolution of genetic science has made Federal Government action both timely and necessary. CALI has also welcomed the inclusion of a five-year review of the legislation, which will be essential to ensure the law keeps up to date with the ever-evolving predictive genetic testing landscape.
It said, “CALI members recognise that predictive genetic testing can play an important role in giving people peace of mind and supporting them to reduce potential health risks.”