Submission: Treasury Laws Amendment Bill 2025: Limiting the use of genetic information by life insurers
After extended advocacy coordinated by Dr Jane Tiller from Monash University’s Public Health Genomics Section, and involving the AMA and other stakeholders, the government has finally introduced its long-awaited bill to ban genetic discrimination in the life insurance industry.
A joint submission to the Treasury Laws Amendment Bill 2025: Limiting the use of genetic information by life insurers, developed by Dr Tiller and colleagues in consultation with the AMA and stakeholders, welcomed the bill and suggested a range of amendments.
The proposed amendments are aimed at ensuring people already experiencing discrimination by life insurers based on existing genetic test results do not continue to experience such discrimination. They also seek to ensure there is appropriate recognition and protection of genetic information.
The AMA has undertaken extensive advocacy with other stakeholders on this issue including through a previous submission to Treasury, in which we raised concerns that the fear of genetic discrimination by the insurance industry deters many at-risk people from having potentially life-saving genetic testing.
Our work on this issue is in line with our position statement on genetic testing and genomics in medicine, which outlines a range of policy positions to reduce and eliminate genetic discrimination.
The Treasury will now consider all submissions received as they prepare to recommend any changes to the legislation before it is introduced into Parliament. Submissions will be published on the Treasury website in the near future.
