NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Color Genomics, which to date has been offering its 30-gene hereditary cancer risk test at a self-pay rate of around $250, said it will begin accepting health insurance starting June 15.
The company has in-network status with several insurers, including United Healthcare, Anthem, and Blue Shield of California, allowing more than 100 million enrollees to have access to the test if they meet coverage criteria, the company told GenomeWeb (see premium feature for more details).
"Our partnerships with health plans open the door for physicians and patients to use Color as an in-network covered benefit when medically indicated," Darrin Crisitello, Color's VP of global sales, said in statement. "We’re making this testing easier to access, for both patients covered by insurance, and those who typically would have been denied coverage."
Individuals who don't meet insurers' coverage criteria, will continue to have access to the self-pay rate. Studies have shown that individuals without medical or family history for hereditary cancers often have mutations in cancer risk genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2.Â
"This is an important milestone for Color and the health insurance industry," said Color CEO Othman Laraki. "We believe testing for hereditary cancer risk should be available to everyone who needs it, and this is a key step in that direction."
The company said it will continue to partner with health plans to expand access to its test and is working to gain coverage through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.