State RegulationsCA specific✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 2/5
Under California law (CIC Section 10146), an insurer is prohibited from:
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
CIC Section 10146 prohibits insurers from using genetic characteristics or genetic test results to deny coverage, restrict coverage, or charge different premiums. Section 10147(b) defines the scope of the protection, ensuring that a person's genetic makeup is not treated as a preexisting condition or a basis for discrimination. By contrast, asking age, requiring medical specimens, and offering non-smoker discounts are all legitimate underwriting practices because they measure current risk rather than genetic destiny.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) Age is a standard and permissible underwriting factor that insurers routinely ask about on life insurance applications.
- C) Requiring a urine or blood specimen for medical underwriting is permitted and is unrelated to genetic discrimination.
- D) Preferred rates for non-smokers are a valid underwriting classification and are not discriminatory in the prohibited sense.
Memory hook
Your genes are off-limits when an insurer prices you.