If you undergo a DNA test to find out your likelihood of contracting inheritable disease such as breast cancer could a life insurance company demand to see the results? Well currently, a voluntary agreement prevents insurers from even asking whether the person has had a test and they can’t instruct anyone to take a test.

But as we all know, things can change and the agreement is only voluntary. Indeed the agreement is due to expire in 2014 and we are sure that the current arrangements will change.

We don’t believe that people in the UK will stand for demands for wholesale DNA testing and the politicians will probably support that view. But the issue is heightened by the increasing availability of DNA testing. There are even DIY testing kits, albeit at the princely sum of £700 (well outside the budget of an insurance company!) but at one time a basic flat screen TV’s were £2,500!

So what’s the chance that if you decided to take a test now for your own peace of mind, that the insurers couldn’t demand to see the results after the 2014 expiry date? Well, if the results are on your health records at your GP’s then as things are now, nothing. In fact as far as we are aware, when you give your GP your approval to provide information to a life insurance company, the GP is at liberty to disclose everything in the file.

So if the DNA results are in your health file then your insurer could get hold of them.

Will you avoid this problem if you have a DIY DNA test? Well, yes but as with many of these new developments the problem comes with interpreting the results. To get it 100% right you really need a medically trained person – and if you ask your GP, it’s on your records again!

It’s a difficult one. But if you have a strong reason for testing because for example, your family has a history of breast cancer, you’ll just have to go ahead and hope that the politicians sort the law out before 2014.