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Zion TN, Berrios CD, Cohen ASA, Bartik L, Cross LA, Engleman KL, Fleming EA, Gadea RN, Hughes SS, Jenkins JL, Kussmann J, Lawson C, Schwager C, Strenk ME, Welsh H, Rush ET, Amudhavalli SM, Sullivan BR, Zhou D, Gannon JL, Heese BA, Moore R, Boillat E, Biswell RL, Louiselle DA, Puckett LMB, Beyer S, Neal SH, Sierant V, McBeth M, Belden B, Walter AM, Gibson M, Cheung WA, Johnston JJ, Thiffault I, Farrow EG, Grundberg E, Pastinen T. Insurance denials and diagnostic rates in a pediatric genomic research cohort. Genet Med 2023; 25:100020. [PMID: 36718845 PMCID: PMC10584034 DOI: 10.1016/j.gim.2023.100020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to assess the amount and types of clinical genetic testing denied by insurance and the rate of diagnostic and candidate genetic findings identified through research in patients who faced insurance denials. METHODS Analysis consisted of review of insurance denials in 801 patients enrolled in a pediatric genomic research repository with either no previous genetic testing or previous negative genetic testing result identified through cross-referencing with insurance prior-authorizations in patient medical records. Patients and denials were also categorized by type of insurance coverage. Diagnostic findings and candidate genetic findings in these groups were determined through review of our internal variant database and patient charts. RESULTS Of the 801 patients analyzed, 147 had insurance prior-authorization denials on record (18.3%). Exome sequencing and microarray were the most frequently denied genetic tests. Private insurance was significantly more likely to deny testing than public insurance (odds ratio = 2.03 [95% CI = 1.38-2.99] P = .0003). Of the 147 patients with insurance denials, 53.7% had at least 1 diagnostic or candidate finding and 10.9% specifically had a clinically diagnostic finding. Fifty percent of patients with clinically diagnostic results had immediate medical management changes (5.4% of all patients experiencing denials). CONCLUSION Many patients face a major barrier to genetic testing in the form of lack of insurance coverage. A number of these patients have clinically diagnostic findings with medical management implications that would not have been identified without access to research testing. These findings support re-evaluation of insurance carriers' coverage policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tricia N Zion
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO.
| | - Courtney D Berrios
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Ana S A Cohen
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Lauren Bartik
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; University of Kansas Medical Center, School of Professional Health Sciences, Kansas City, MO
| | - Laura A Cross
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Kendra L Engleman
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Emily A Fleming
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Randi N Gadea
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Susan S Hughes
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Janda L Jenkins
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Jennifer Kussmann
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Caitlin Lawson
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Caitlin Schwager
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Meghan E Strenk
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Holly Welsh
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Eric T Rush
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, MO
| | - Shivarajan M Amudhavalli
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Bonnie R Sullivan
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Dihong Zhou
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Jennifer L Gannon
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Bryce A Heese
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Riley Moore
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Emelia Boillat
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Rebecca L Biswell
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Daniel A Louiselle
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Laura M B Puckett
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Shanna Beyer
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Shelby H Neal
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Victoria Sierant
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Macy McBeth
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Bradley Belden
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Adam M Walter
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Margaret Gibson
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Warren A Cheung
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Jeffrey J Johnston
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Isabelle Thiffault
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Emily G Farrow
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Elin Grundberg
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
| | - Tomi Pastinen
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
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