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 may wish to contact their insurance company before testing to ask about coverage.
Some people may choose not to use their insurance to pay for testing. Instead, they may opt to pay out-of-pocket for the test or pursue direct-to-consumer genetic testing, if available. 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 different types of genetic tests?
- What are the uses of genetic testing?
- How is genetic testing done?
- What is informed consent?
- How can I 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 are genetic screening tests different from genetic diagnostic tests?
- 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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