Longevity - If the genes fit...

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has recently ruled that the use of gender in determining prices for insurance contracts will not be permitted from 21 December 2012. The clear thrust of the ruling is that insurance companies should be charging clients explicitly for adverse behaviours and not using gender as a ­convenient short-cut. This prompts an obvious question: to what extent are the observed mortality differentials attributable to behavioural, rather than biological differences, between the genders? The Advocate General at the ECJ presented its arguments for recommendation...