Written by · Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver — licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Last updated 2026-10-20

How genetic testing affects life insurance in NZ

New Zealand has no law we could find that stops life insurers asking for or using your genetic test results. 1News reported on 21 August 2026 that insurers can legally ask for and use them. Chubb Life publishes that it will underwrite your own results, but will not ask you to take a test. Guaranteed acceptance cover asks no health questions at application.

In short

What is a genetic test in insurance terms?

Chubb Life's underwriting guide defines a genetic test as "a test which examines a person's chromosomes or DNA to reveal mutations in your genes that can lead to illness or disease". It adds that this does not include non-genetic medical tests such as blood or urine tests for proteins, cholesterol, liver function or diabetes, even if the purpose is to check for a condition that may run in families (Chubb Life: Essential Underwriting Guide, May 2025).

That distinction matters because most of what an underwriter asks for, such as cholesterol, HbA1c and liver tests, is not genetic at all. Our guide to medical exams and blood tests covers those.

What are insurers allowed to do in New Zealand?

We searched for a New Zealand statute or industry-wide ban on using genetic information in life underwriting and found none. 1News reported on 21 August 2026 that "New Zealand insurers can legally ask for and use genetic test results" (1News). Three more points from that report:

So the honest answer is that practice is set by each insurer, not by law, and that insurers' public statements and their underwriting documents do not describe the same thing in the same way. Our news analysis of the gap with Australia discusses the policy argument. This page is about what you can do.

What does an insurer actually publish?

The only New Zealand insurer guide we have read that speaks to it directly is Chubb Life's. Chubb Life says it will underwrite an applicant's personal health history, family history and personal genetic test results. It says it will not:

We have not found other insurers' published statements on genetic test results, so we cannot say how they handle one. Insurers differ, and you cannot assume silence means a result is ignored. An adviser can ask each insurer.

Do you have to tell an insurer about a genetic test result?

If you are asked, answer honestly. In New Zealand the current law puts an obligation on people applying for insurance to disclose material information, and insurers can reduce or decline a claim, or avoid a policy, when information was incomplete or wrong. The Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme (IFSO) has published cases where cover was reduced after non-disclosure (IFSO, 10 July 2025). See what non-disclosure can cost you.

Timing is the other half. AIA's policy wording, as one example, applies the duty to disclose "prior to inception" of the policy and before any "variation or reinstatement", and says the premium "will not be affected by any change in health of a life assured which has occurred since the benefits were first added" (AIA: Living umbrella policy wording, effective 12 May 2026). Read your own policy, because wordings differ. In practice, the moments that matter are a new application, an increase in cover and a reinstatement.

The law is changing. From 15 November 2027 (not yet in force), the Contracts of Insurance Act 2024 replaces the broad duty with a duty to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation (FMA: Contracts of Insurance Act 2024). Until then, the current rules apply.

What should you think about before taking a test?

This is general information and not personal advice, and a genetic test can have real health benefits. The reasoning to weigh is only about timing and paperwork:

  1. Existing cover. Your policy is a contract written on what was disclosed at the start. A later test does not reopen it under the wording we looked at, but check your own policy's terms.
  2. Planned increases. If you expect to need more cover soon, an increase is assessed when you apply for it. Some policies allow increases on listed life events without fresh health information. For example, Fidelity's LifeProtect wording allows a special events increase before age 55 "without providing additional health information" for events such as marriage, a birth or a new mortgage, subject to conditions (Fidelity Life: LifeProtect Life Cover wording, effective 22 September 2026). Whether yours has this is in the schedule.
  3. A result you already have. If you have had a test, expect to be asked. A concealed result is worse than a loading or exclusion.
  4. Compare insurers. Because practice differs, a licensed adviser can ask more than one insurer how a given result would be treated.

How does guaranteed acceptance cover treat genetic results?

Guaranteed acceptance cover asks no health questions at application, so it asks no questions about genetic tests either.

Momentum Life's Quick Life (ages 18 to 65, $50,000 to $300,000 per person) has guaranteed acceptance with no health questions or medical exams. The trade-off is in the first 2 years: pre-existing conditions and suicide are excluded. The wording defines a pre-existing condition as an illness, condition or symptoms in the 2 years before cover started, including anything you had treatment or advice for, noticed symptoms of, or would reasonably have been aware of. It does not mention genetic tests. A test result with no symptoms, treatment or advice is not clearly within that definition, but we cannot say how a claim would be assessed, and a diagnosis or treatment would be. Premiums are refunded if death from a pre-existing condition falls in the first 24 months and no claim is payable. A healthy person can often get more cover for less through fully underwritten cover, so guaranteed acceptance mainly suits people who would be declined or loaded heavily elsewhere.

Momentum Life's Funeral Insurance (ages 40 to 75) also has no health questions and no pre-existing condition clause. For the first 24 months only death from an accident, within 90 days of it, is paid; there is no benefit for any other death in that window, and all premiums for that person are refunded. Total premiums can end up larger than the benefit, and the benefit may not cover the whole funeral.

Both are subject to eligibility; Momentum Life Limited is rated B (Fair) by A.M. Best (Momentum's financial strength page). Over 75, neither accepts new applicants. For the wider comparison, see guaranteed acceptance versus full medical underwriting and, if you already have underwritten cover and want to change it, the continuation option. The buttons on this page lead to Momentum's own application.

Frequently asked questions

Can a NZ life insurer make me take a genetic test?

Chubb Life says it will not ask an applicant to take one. We found no New Zealand law on the point, so check what each insurer says.

Can an insurer use my relatives' genetic results?

Chubb Life says it will not use a family member's genetic results to underwrite your cover. It does underwrite your family history. Other insurers' practices are not published in the documents we read.

Do I have to tell my insurer after I take a test?

The wording we examined (AIA) ties the duty to the start of a policy and to variations and reinstatements. Check your own policy, and answer honestly if you apply for more cover.

Is a New Zealand ban coming?

1News reports advocates are calling for one and that the issue is not on the Government's current work programme. We have not found a bill.

References

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