If you are a female who has a history of breast or ovarian cancer, then from next year onwards, you could face higher insurance premiums.

The insurance industry may begin asking women who apply for life insurance and critical illness cover if they have been tested for the gene mutation BRCA1 or BRCA2.

These are the gene complications that increase the chances of developing cancer. However, before the insurance companies can ask personal details, they must get approval from the Genetics and Insurance Committee, this is the body that advises the Government on similar issues.

In the coming months, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) will be requesting the Committee for authority to ask women whether or not they have tested positive for BRCA1 or BRCA2.

Approximately 1 in 850 women inherit a faulty BRCA1 gene, and of those 14-18% will develop breast cancer.

The committee expected that the Association of British Insurers would submit in late 2006/2007 four revised and updated applications for the adverse results from the predictive gene tests.

This will help to determine insurance premiums for life and critical illness insurance. At present these types of questions can only be asked when the application is for more than £500,000 of life insurance cover.

Or more than £300,000 for critical illness. This rule is set to expire in 2011. Harpel Karlcut, who is the chairman of the ABI’s Genetic working party states that “We are looking to get approval for the breast cancer test by the end of the year.”