Alice Jordan-Baird (Gorton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today I rise to support the Treasury Laws Amendment (Genetic Testing Protections in Life Insurance and Other Measures) Bill 2025, which was introduced by the Assistant Treasurer, and I commend him for doing so. This amendment to the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 is a significant one because genetic testing can save lives. Genetic testing supports medical practitioners to prevent illnesses, diagnose conditions earlier, and treat and monitor a range of cancers, cancer predisposition syndromes and other heritable conditions sooner. It plays a critical role in monitoring all of this. For many Australians, one major thing has stood in the way of getting tested for and treating conditions early, and that's the concern that life insurers will use that information against them. That's not right—and, what's more, it takes one easy fix, and that fix is this bill in front of us.

This bill bans life insurers from taking information from an individual's genetic testing into account when deciding whether to offer life insurance cover or when making decisions about the terms and conditions of that cover. It's about protecting Australians, making things fairer for Australians and giving Australians confidence—confidence to get tested, confidence to look after their health and confidence that doing the right thing won't come back to bite them.

Medical science is moving forward quickly, and genetic testing is one of the most important and impactful advances we've seen. But our laws have simply not kept pace. Under previous arrangements, people could be penalised for genetic information that is completely outside of their control, something they were born with and did not choose. Some Australians delayed testing or avoided it altogether out of fear it would affect their access to life insurance. That fear has real consequences for people's health. This legislation is addressing this problem. In practical terms, it bans life insurers from using adverse genetic test results when making decisions about life insurance contracts entered into after the commencement of this bill. Put simply, if someone chooses to undergo genetic testing to protect their health, that information cannot be used against them when they apply for life insurance. That is a significant reform, and it will make a real difference. It allows people to focus on their health without worrying that they will be financially punished for doing so. It removes a barrier that never should have existed in the first place.

I want to take a moment to pay tribute to my colleague the wonderful member for Macnamara, Josh Burns, who has led the charge for these reforms within government along with his constituent and close friend Dr Jane Tiller. Josh represents the largest Jewish community in Victoria, which is highly predisposed to genetic disorders. One in 40 Ashkenazi Jews carry the BRCA gene mutation, which can lead to higher risk of breast, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic and skin cancers—that's 10 times higher than for the general population. Back in 2023, Josh hosted a roundtable with Dr Jane Miller; the Assistant Treasurer at the time, Stephen Jones; and a group of advocates and women directly impacted by these reforms. These were women who had done everything right. They had taken the responsible step of getting tested, discovered they carried the BRCA gene and, in many cases, undergone preventive surgery to reduce their risk, only to find themselves penalised by life insurers. Many other Jewish Australians have avoided genetic testing altogether to avoid paying higher premiums, leaving genetic disorders which could have cost them their lives undetected. Thanks to this bill and to Josh's advocacy, that would no longer be the case. It is also thanks in no small way to the research of Dr Jane Tiller and her team at Monash University. She is someone who has dedicated her career to public health research and to increasing equitable access to genomic medicine for public health outcomes. She's passionate about this because she knows that genetic testing saves lives through the prevention of disease in very high risk people. She knows that there are more high-risk Australians than most people realise.

Recently, Monash University, led by Dr Tiller, conducted a DNA screen study which tested 10,000 18- to 40-year-old Australians for high genetic risk of preventable cancer and heart disease. They found that one in 50 Australians—two per cent—were at high risk of preventable cancer and heart diseases. Now, don't be misled; one in 50 Australians is still a lot of Australians. In my friend the member for Macnamara's electorate, at least 67 young people participated in the DNA screen. Four young people were found to be at high genetic risk—two of breast, ovarian and prostate cancer, one of bowel cancer and one of a heart attack due to genetic high cholesterol. In my electorate of Gorton, 39 young people participated and three were found to be at high genetic risk—two of breast, ovarian and prostate cancer and one of heart attack due to genetic high cholesterol.

I want to be clear: we're talking about preventable diseases—diseases which have life-altering consequences if detected early. So, when those participants in the electorate of Macnamara and in my electorate of Gorton, alongside other participants in the study, found they were at high risk of these preventable genetic diseases, they were able to access preventive measures such as surgery, surveillance and medication. For them, this study was very possibly life changing. Now, that is incredible.

While this study was life altering for these individuals, it also highlighted a severe fault in our healthcare system—the thing that is the most significant barrier to testing for Australians. The main reason people who signed up for the DNA screening ultimately decided not to participate was genetic discrimination in life insurance. This isn't new. For decades, this has been a significant ethical concern for Australians, who have had to choose between genetic testing that could save their lives and potential financial implications for their life insurance.

This is not how the system should work. Life insurers should not be able to discriminate like this. Life insurers should not be able to act as a barrier to Australians accessing preventable health care. This bill will end that discrimination. It will end that fear and it will enable Australians to make decisions about genetic testing and genetic research without worrying about life insurance. Here, we are addressing the most significant barrier to testing for Australians, and we are paving the way for greater investment in preventive genomic screening, because preventive healthcare matters. Investing in preventive health is a proven way of increasing national productivity, reducing health system spending and keeping Australians out of hospital. Preventive health takes the burden off our hospital systems and off our public spending. While there's plenty of research that tells us of the benefits of investing more broadly in the prevention of diseases in adults through DNA screening, until we pass this bill, Australians cannot have confidence that they can get tested without consequences. This bill is an opportunity to invest more broadly in prevention of disease in adults through DNA screening without people having to worry about insurance concerns. It sends a clear message that you should not have to choose between your health and your financial security.

This legislation restores balance between individuals and large insurance corporations, and it puts people back at the centre of the system. For communities like Gorton, this matters. We are a young and diverse community in Melbourne's western suburbs, with many families already facing financial and cost-of-living pressures. The median age of people in Gorton is 35 years old, and young Australians want preventive genetic information. The DNA Screen study was extremely popular amongst young people, with tens of thousands of young people registering their interest in participating for the study, and young people found that genetic testing has significant benefits for their futures. Around 22 per cent of people in my electorate of Gorton are living with at least one long-term health condition. That means reforms like this are not abstract or theoretical; they affect real people in our communities. This legislation helps reduce one of those barriers by giving people confidence that getting genetic testing will not come at a personal cost.

This reform follows extensive consultation with community members, medical practitioners, genetic researchers and the insurance industry. The DNA Screen study hopes to expand its testing to 100,000 people, which would identify thousands more at-risk people who would not have to worry about life insurance discrimination. It's a step towards a screening program to use genomics to prevent disease. We must move into an era of using genomics to prevent and get ahead of disease. Published modelling indicates that this screening is cost-effective, with associated productivity gains in the billions of dollars.

This bill has broad support across parliament, and it fits squarely within Labor's broader agenda. We have invested more than ever before in the health of Australians. With record investments in Medicare, we are bringing bulk-billing back and strengthening as we do so. In my electorate of Gorton, 72 per cent of clinics are now fully bulk-billed. We've brought cost-of-living relief to Australians by lowering the cost of PBS listed medicines to just $25, and we've increased access to health care by expanding those lists of medicines on the PBS. We've opened new urgent care clinics across the country, including in Melton and Sunshine near my electorate. We're rolling out 1800MEDICARE, a new 24/7 service families can access from home whenever they need it. This is a state-of-the-art expansion of telehealth.

We're growing Australia's health workforce with the largest GP training program in Australian history, and we're investing landmark commitments in women's health. For too long, women's health issues have not been adequately addressed. We're working to reverse decades of neglect to women's health, with $573.3 million to deliver more choice, lower costs and better health care for women. We're introducing the first new contraceptive pills added to the PBS in 30 years—Yaz, Yasmin and Slinda. We're introducing the first new menopause treatments on the PBS in 20 years—Estrogel, Estrogel Pro and Prometrium. We're ensuring there's better access to IUDs and birth control implants as well. This comes alongside the opening of 22 endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics, with another 11 to be opening soon.

Thanks to these initiatives, Australian women and their families will save thousands of dollars on health related costs across their lifetimes. This is what happens when we elect women: women's issues become at the forefront of the government's agenda. On this side of the House, we're committed to tangible cost-of-living relief and health outcomes for Australians. Labor built Medicare, and we will always protect it. This is all because the Albanese Labor government is ensuring that accessible health care for all Australians remains a priority. No-one should be discouraged from looking after their health—and, with this legislation, they won't be. Life insurers will not have the power to stop Australians from getting tested early and treated early for their genetic conditions. On that note, I commend this bill to the House.

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