Would you allow life insurance companies to check your DNA? Some people are doing just that for a better deal.
According to a recent survey that was conducted by Life Epigenetics, a genetic mortality prediction company, most life insurance consumers would be willing to provide saliva samples to get a better deal on life insurance prices, or to streamline what can be a complicated and involved process.
The use of epigenetics when it comes to underwriting life insurance is one of the latest trends in the insurance industry. Submitting saliva samples guarantees policyholders a better life insurance price. According to the survey findings, 82% would provide the samples for the underwriting process to be streamlined or automated while 75% would do it for a better life insurance price.
Moreover, the survey indicated that most participants were eager to see the results that such samples could produce even if they were hearing about the concepts of epigenetics for the first time. This idea of learning more about oneself is not an entirely new concept- some consumer services such as Ancestry.com and 23andMe.com take these genetic samples to assess the ancestry or genetic makeup of consumers.
The current CEO of Life Epigenetics, Jon Sabes, is of the opinion that financial planning tools such as insurance can also apply cutting-edge science to improve their results. Consumers are beginning to appreciate the need to understand their own biology as well as the need to understand biology’s role in their lifestyle, as such information is vital in improving their lives. The modern consumer is open-minded and recognizes the fact their daily life is mostly influenced by the current radical improvements in technology.
There have been several new discoveries when it comes to health and wellness as a result of epigenetic science that would not have been possible a few years ago. That is why it is essential to make good use of the high throughput in biotechnology and the recent advancements in computing power.
Therefore, the next natural thing to do is to apply the predictive technology to more important aspects of life such as financial planning. Individuals can make these critical decisions about their life after getting useful insights about their health and wellness. With such knowledge, you will be able to plan for your future and know how to pay for your health and wellness.
