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Multiplex genetic testing will have important consequences for the insurance companies. According to the US Institute of Medicine's Committee on Assessing Genetic Risks, genetic testing will soon become a common medical practice and will make traditional pathological tests redundant. The DNA-based technology has the potential of predicting diseases whose symptoms have not developed at the time of test. People may take advantage of this fact and get insured. However, denying genetic information to insurance companies could seriously jeopardize both the company and the beneficiary financially.

Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee chair Nancy Kassebaum has averred that she will not back an amendment in the Health Insurance Reform Act prohibiting health insurers from using genetic information to refuse coverage. Sponsored by Kassebaum and Edward Kennedy, the bill ensures continued health insurance coverage to those who will fall ill, change or leave their jobs. Thus, it prohibits insurers from denying coverage based on factors that include pre-existing medical conditions and medical history. Kassebaum's refusal to amend the bill may stem from the need to maintain the consensus behind a health reform bill in the Senate.