MassMutual to Offer Free Gene Readings to More Insureds

MassMutual has come up with a new way to persuade people with life insurance to eat right, exercise and get checkups: Make their DNA do the talking.

The Springfield, Massachusetts-based life insurer is expanding a program that provides eligible insureds with a chance to get a free genetic health risk assessment from a U.K. firm, Genomics.

Genomics looks for mutations in people’s DNA. It then uses the mutation lists to estimate how vulnerable they are to heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other conditions.

Sears Merritt, a MassMutual technology executive, said the company believes that a smaller pilot test with Genomics showed that gene testing reports have the potential to improve people’s health.

“There is high interest from policyowners to act on the information they receive,” he said.

What it means: A DNA test report could be a great wellness coach.

Wellness: People who qualify to buy individual, medically underwritten life insurance tend to be healthier and longer-lived than usual.

But even they may have a tendency to suffer from bad hits that lead to diabetes, heart disease and other health problems.