In many cases, health insurance plans will cover the costs of genetic testing when it is recommended by a person's doctor. Health insurance providers have different policies about which tests are covered, however. A person interested in submitting the costs of testing may wish to contact his or her insurance company beforehand to ask about coverage.
Some people may choose not to use their insurance to pay for testing because the results of a genetic test can affect a person's insurance coverage. Instead, they may opt to pay out-of-pocket for the test. People considering genetic testing may want to find out more about their state's privacy protection laws before they ask their insurance company to cover the costs. (Refer to What is genetic discrimination? for more information.)
Topics in the Genetic Testing chapter
- What is genetic testing?
- What are the types of genetic tests?
- How is genetic testing done?
- What is informed consent?
- How can consumers be sure a genetic test is valid and useful?
- What do the results of genetic tests mean?
- What is the cost of genetic testing, and how long does it take to get the results?
- Will health insurance cover the costs of genetic testing?
- What are the benefits of genetic testing?
- What are the risks and limitations of genetic testing?
- What is genetic discrimination?
- Can genes be patented?
- How does genetic testing in a research setting differ from clinical genetic testing?
- What are whole exome sequencing and whole genome sequencing?
- What are secondary findings from genetic testing?
- What is noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and what disorders can it screen for?
- What is circulating tumor DNA and how is it used to diagnose and manage cancer?
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