How does genetic testing affect your insurance coverage? Here's what you should know
SINGAPORE: Singapore will launch a national health programme on Jun 30 targeting a hereditary cholesterol condition. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has described the programme as the country's first preventive care programme based on genetic testing.
As Singapore expands its use of genetic testing in preventive healthcare, the question of insurance fairness looms large. Here's what you need to know about the moratorium that protects your data and your coverage.
What is a genetic testing moratorium and why does Singapore have one?
A genetic testing moratorium is an agreement that restricts how life insurers can use genetic test results when evaluating applications for insurance. It aims to prevent genetic discrimination, ensuring that individuals are not penalised for potential health risks identified through genetic screening.
Countries that have such guidelines include Singapore, the United Kingdom and Canada.
In Singapore, insurers cannot use predictive genetic test results - used to predict future risk of diseases - in assessing or deciding the outcome of insurance applications, unless certain criteria are satisfied.
Genetic tests analyse one's DNA, RNA, chromosomes or specific genes to identify changes that may be linked to inherited conditions, disease risk and the likelihood of passing on conditions to one's children.
In Singapore's case, a moratorium on genetic testing and insurance was introduced by the Health Ministry (MOH) and the Life Insurance Association Singapore (LIA) in October 2021.
In June 2025, the moratorium was expanded to include all predictive and diagnostic test results from the national familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) genetic testing programme
Under the agreement, life insurers in Singapore are also not allowed to use genetic test results from biomedical research or direct-to-consumer genetic test results.
This means individuals do not need to worry that participating in MOH's genetic testing initiative will affect their ability to get life insurance, critical illness coverage. or similar products.
The framework applies to all LIA members, including life insurers and reinsurers that are licensed to operate in Singapore.
What does the moratorium mean for you?
In your insurance applications, insurers may ask that you confirm you have read and understood the moratorium.
Under the moratorium, insurers cannot require or pressure you to take a genetic test for insurance underwriting. This applies to all such tests, including predictive, diagnostic, pharmacogenetic or prenatal and newborn screening genetic tests.
Insurance underwriting is the process that insurers take to evaluate the risk of insuring a person and decide how much he or she should pay for coverage.
In addition, if you have done genetic testing under the new national FH genetic testing programme, insurers are not allowed to ask for or use your test results, both predictive and diagnostic, in insurance underwriting.
A predictive test reveals the risk of developing a condition in the future while a diagnostic test confirms a current illness.
Are there exceptions to the moratorium on the use of genetic test results?
If you have previously taken other genetic tests, insurers cannot ask for or use your results in insurance underwriting. However, there are two exceptions.
First, if the test was a diagnostic genetic test that confirmed diagnosis of a disease, insurers can request this as part of your medical history.
Second, if you are applying for life, total permanent disability, long-term care, critical illness or disability income insurance, insurers may request your predictive genetic test results only if both of the following conditions are met:
The sum assured or payout you are applying for is higher than the approved financial limit (see table below) set out in the moratorium
The predictive genetic test you took is one of the approved ones set out in the moratorium - the HTT test for Huntington's Disease and the BRCA1/2 test for breast cancer
The moratorium also does not affect insurers' ability to request or use diagnosis or family history, as per current industry practice.
In addition, the moratorium only applies to insurance policies that were already in effect before its rollout. For instance, only policies signed on or after Jun 30 will be subject to the updated moratorium.
What if you happen to reveal predictive genetic test results to your insurer?
The rules of the moratorium still hold as it applies to accidental disclosure as well. This means insurers cannot consider the predictive genetic test result unless the two conditions, stated above under the exceptions, are met.
If the predictive genetic test result is favourable, insurers may use it in deciding the underwriting outcome.
Does the moratorium cover prenatal or newborn genetic screening?
No, the moratorium does not apply to genetic tests done as part of prenatal or newborn screening, for example, tests for metabolic or inherited disorders in babies.
These results are treated like other clinical diagnostic tests, and whether they are used in insurance decisions is up to individual insurers.
If such tests are done as part of medical care, insurers may consider the results during underwriting, just like with other medical diagnoses.
What can you do if you suspect non-compliance with the moratorium?
If you are concerned with how an insurer has handled your genetic test information, you may work directly with them to resolve your complaint or feedback.
If both parties fail to reach a resolution, you may file a complaint with the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre, or approach the Singapore Mediation Centre for mediation.
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