ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to set out how the development of genetics may affect insurance principles and techniques. This question lies at the center of current debates on ethics. It is a very interesting one, because the results that may be reasonably expected of genetic testing remain unclear, and insurance principles and techniques are not widely known. It is therefore appropriate to first deal with several preconceived ideas that may detract from discussions on this issue, which are often highly abstract. The chapter considers how insurance principles and techniques may be affected by genetic information. The fundamental notions are those of risk, risk declaration, adverse selection and fairness. Finally, discussion centers on how regulations that have been adopted create the possibility of a compromise between technical insurance requirements and ethical requirements. Reference is often made to genetics and insurance in general, but there is no such thing as insurance in general.
