The private medical insurance industry has attempted to play down the impact of genetic testing on its business.
In the UK, private medical insurance does not cover chronic care, which is chiefly dealt with by the NHS.
As a result insurers have been claiming that genetic testing is likely to have a larger impact on insurance products that provide income protection, such as critical illness policies, rather than on medical insurance itself.
A leading insurer told the FT.com: "We tend to fix things that are broke, not tackle chronic conditions."
ABI head of health Richard Walsh said: "It will be extremely difficult to use [genetic testing] for underwriting purposes. I don't think it would be practical."
Bupa deputy medical director Virginia Warren said it would be years before the impact of genetics on disease was understood.
She said: "I am not sure it is going to be very meaningful in underwriting terms."
