Recommended Citation
Anya E.R. Prince,
Tantamount to Fraud?: Exploring Non-Disclosure of Genetic Information in Life Insurance Applications as Grounds for Policy Rescission,
26 Health Matrix
255
(2016)
Available at:
https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/healthmatrix/vol26/iss1/11
Abstract
Many genetic counselors recommend that individuals secure desired insurance policies, such as life insurance, prior to undergoing predictive genetic testing. It has been argued, however, that this practice is "tantamount to fraud" and that failure to disclose genetic test results, or conspiring to secure a policy before testing, opens an individual up to legal recourse. This debate traps affected individuals in a Catch-22. If they apply for life insurance and disclose a genetic test result, they may be denied. If they apply without disclosing the information, they may have committed fraud. The consequences of life insurance fraud are significant.