How Health Insurers Are Using Genetic Testing Data to Predict Costs

Episode 67 of Services Economy with Fexingo dives into how health insurers are increasingly using genetic testing data to predict future medical costs and set premiums. Lucas explains that companies like Geisinger Health System and UnitedHealth Group are incorporating polygenic risk scores — which assess an individual's genetic propensity for conditions like heart disease or diabetes — into their underwriting models. Luna raises concerns about privacy and the potential for genetic discrimination. The episode explores the tension between precision medicine, actuary science, and civil liberties, with a specific focus on the GINA (Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act) of 2008 and its limitations in the insurance context. Listeners learn how a single DNA test result could theoretically shift someone's risk tier, and why some states are pushing for stricter regulations. #GeneticTesting #HealthInsurance #PredictiveAnalytics #PolygenicRiskScores #Underwriting #PrecisionMedicine #GINA #Privacy #InsuranceCosts #UnitedHealthGroup #Geisinger #BiometricData #RiskAssessment #HealthcareEconomics #Economics #ServicesEconomy #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo