October 8, 2020

Natera a pioneer and global leader in cell-free DNA testing, today announced that Centene, a major healthcare insurance company, has extended coverage of the Panorama non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) to all pregnant women, including twin pregnancies, representing 24 million additional covered lives.

Natera notes the expanded coverage follows the recent joint guideline released by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) that supported offering aneuploidy screening options, including NIPT, to all patients, regardless of maternal age or baseline risk. The guideline concluded that NIPT is the most sensitive and specific screening test available for common fetal aneuploidies, and for the first time, endorsed NIPT use in twin pregnancies.

“I am extremely pleased to see that coverage for cell-free DNA screening, which has already been recommended by ACOG for all pregnant women, will now be extended to Medicaid populations,” said Larry Platt, MD, MFM, Clinical Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “Broadening coverage to this population is an overdue effort to help resolve established and systemic disparities and inequities in women’s healthcare.”

“The average risk NIPT market is significantly underpenetrated today. We believe expanded insurance coverage and the recent society guideline will enable access for more women, unlocking significant volume growth,” said Ramesh Hariharan, General Manager for Natera’s Women’s Health business.