If an individual fails to provide truthful information, it is considered fraud and may result in loss of insurance coverage or employment. Around the country, efforts are under way to prevent insurance and employment discrimination. It should be noted that the degree of discrimination protection can vary from state to state. Therefore, individuals considering testing should be reminded that the decisions that they make today while living in one state may have repercussions in the future if they move to another area. The cost for genetic testing can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars.
Insurance policies vary with regard to whether the cost of genetic testing is covered.
As addressed above, because genetic information can cause problems with insurance companies, some individuals may not want to use their insurance to pay for testing and may choose to pay out of pocket if they are able. This may be true even when a particular insurer is willing to cover the cost of testing. To protect their privacy, some may not even want their insurer to know they are thinking about genetic testing. Others may decide to ask their insurance company to cover these costs. They should carefully explore their particular insurance company and even privacy protection laws in their state before submitting the charge.