Employer Acceptance of Genetic Tests Is Growing

Genetic testing is a type of medical test that identifies changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins. The results of a genetic test can confirm or rule out a suspected genetic condition or help determine a person’s chance of developing or passing on a genetic disorder. According to the National Institutes of Health, there are over 2,000 common and rare conditions that can now be screened through testing at over 500 laboratories.

Genetic disease risk screening is becoming a popular employee benefit. As detailed in a recent Employee Benefit News article, the latest statistics from the Society for Human Resource Management show that 18% of employers these days provide a health-related genetic testing benefit, an increase of 6% over the previous year.  

Color Genomics (Color) has rapidly become a leader in employee genetic screening and counseling. Color partners with leading health systems, premier  employers around the world, and national health initiatives including the million-person All of Us program by the NIH.

Color offers employee genetic screening and counseling to a number of major companies including, Levi Strauss, General Electric Appliances, Visa, Instacart, Nvidia, OpenTable, Salesforce, SAP, Slack, Stripe and Snap. Color’s unique platform virtualizes parts of healthcare delivery, creates real-time rich context around patients such as genetic profiles and health histories, and utilizes intelligent routing to help get patients to the right services and tools in a timely manner.

Myriad Genetics has been providing GeneSight® as a benefit option for Kroger Prescription Plan employer group clients since May of this year. Additionally, pharmacists at more than 2,300 Kroger stores will provide counseling about GeneSight to eligible employer group members and facilitate testing with their prescribing healthcare professionals. The GeneSight Psychotropic test analyzes how genes may affect response to medications commonly prescribed to treat depression. 

Genomind entered into a partnership with Albertsons Companies in 2018 to offer Genomind Professional PGx Express™, one of the most comprehensive mental health pharmacogenomics service available.

This collaboration allows pharmacy patients at select Albertsons, Jewel-Osco and Acme supermarkets to voluntarily receive free education about Genomind’s Genecept Assay®, the genetic test designed to help clinicians optimize treatment decisions for their patients dealing with mental health issues.)

Recently, in an expansion of the partnership, specially trained pharmacists at all pharmacies in stores operated by Albertsons banner Acme Markets in Pennsylvania, as well as at select Albertsons pharmacies in Idaho, can now offer Genomind Professional PGx Express.

The pharmacists will also have access to the Genomind Drug Interaction Guide (G-DIG), Genomind’s proprietary software system with updated information on how drugs may interact with patient genotypes, as well as with other drugs.

Takeaways: Genetic testing companies are increasingly using pharmacist partnerships to expand as employee genetic testing gains acceptance