The Federation of Insurers will bring a British geneticist to Hong Kong next month to advise life insurers whether their code of practice on genetic testing needs to be revised.
The organisation declined to name the expert. However, he or she is understood to be a member of a panel of specialists who advised the British Government on approving genetic tests on selected diseases for insurance purposes.
Under the code, people shown in genetic tests to have a higher risk of developing specific diseases can have their insurance cover rejected or be forced to pay higher premiums.
The federation said its members were not yet asking clients for the results of genetic tests, but they might soon start doing so as allowed under the code, which is based on the British version and was adopted last May.
The deputy chairwoman of the federation's life insurance council, Sarah Ho Sook-ming, said: 'Once genetic tests for breast cancer and other diseases have proved to be technically reliable, we will have to ask for those results.
'We are worried the Government will suddenly step in to stop us using genetic information. We hope we can get such test results for underwriting high-risk groups. Rapid development of genome technology means more accurate and reliable genetic tests will be available.'
Ms Ho warned that any government ban on the use of genetic information would shift higher costs on to consumers.