skip to main content

We may earn money when you click on our links. Learn More

Icon Close  Light

Call Today! 888-234-8376

Genetic Testing Could Ruin Your Chances to Qualify for Life Insurance

Researcher & Writer
April 03, 2020

If you have not had a genetic test completed you should consider holding off until you have an active life insurance policy. You could potentially jeopardize your approval if you take the genetic test before getting a life insurance policy.

Genetic Testing and Life Insurance

Life insurance companies typically cannot access your genetic testing results without your permission and they cannot require that you take one to get an application. So you may be wondering how genetic testing can affect your approval if they can't get it.

There is a catch.

Anyone applying for life insurance has a legal obligation to disclose any and all relevant details to the insurance company. Failure to disclose any pertinent information you have, including anything learned from a genetics test could possibly void your life insurance policy and/or allow the insurance company to pay out less for a death claim than the amount that was initially agreed upon. 

This means if you find out any health-related information regarding your family history you would be obligated to share it with the insurance company when applying for a life insurance policy. 

Conclusion

If you can postpone doing a genetic test, you should. In general, a genetic test could either have no effect on your life insurance or it could have a harmful effect. There really isn't an upside to getting genetic information before getting an active life insurance policy. 

Written by
TermLife2Go
We are a team of life insurance experts with the simple mission of helping you find the best coverage for your unique situation. We research, review, and rank life insurance companies to make that process easier.