Costs and Insurance Concerns
The total cost for the visits, neurological and neuropsychological testing, and DNA analysis will be roughly $1500-2000. There are three options for payment. We will need to know which option you have chosen when you enter the program. The DNA analysis fee is about $220.
Payment Options
- You can submit all the fees to your insurance. You may want to find out anonymously if the insurance company will cover the cost of testing and evaluation without requiring information regarding the outcome of the test. This is a decision that may affect your health care coverage in the future, especially if you change jobs or your employer changes health plans. If you are in a managed health care plan, you may need preauthorization from your health care provider.
The fees for the neurological examination and genetic counseling are submitted with an insurance code for "Family history of a musculoskeletal disorder." Claims for physician visits because of a "family history" of a disorder are often not paid by insurance companies.
- Submit the fees for the visits and examinations to your insurance company, but pay for the DNA analysis yourself, so that you are not obliged to reveal the outcome of the test to your company.
- You can pay the fees yourself. The University of Virginia Hospital offers a sliding scale based on financial screening that may reduce the fees for individuals with limited incomes. In addition, the hospital will work with you on an extended payment plan, if needed.
Many people choose to pay for the testing themselves in order to protect their confidentiality to the greatest possible extent. If they learn they have not inherited the gene, they may decide to submit the fees to insurance for reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses. If you are considering this option, you should check with your company about the time within which reimbursement may be requested.
We are able to set up special payor accounts in the billing system for individuals who elect to self-pay so that bills related to predictive testing are handled separately from other UVA accounts they may have. We feel this will offer another layer of protection of your confidentiality.
The cost of processing your affected relative's blood sample should be covered by your relative's insurance.
Long-term Care Insurance
We encourage everyone who enters the predictive testing program to consider applying for long-term care insurance before learning the results of the test. This will permit you to answer all the questions on an application honestly since you will not know the outcome of the test.
Some applications include the question "Are you currently under medical advice or treatment?" If you have already begun the testing program, the answer to this would be "yes." You may wish to apply for disability insurance at least 3 months before entering the program so that you can answer "no" well in advance of appointments with us.