Compare Carrier Screening Tests
Wondering which carrier screening test is right for you? Use our simple online tool to compare and find out which test is right for you.
Estimated time: 1 min
How to compare carrier screening tests
Carrier screening tests are an important first step in family planning. Knowing how to compare carrier screening tests is key to choosing the best test for your needs.
There are many companies and providers who offer carrier screening. However, not all providers are equal. With so many tests on the market, how do you choose the right one?
This guide will help you compare and select the best carrier screening test for your personal situation. To compare multiple different tests and providers, follow these simple steps:
Compare the conditions the test screens for
Screening for a higher number of genetic conditions will provide you with a more complete picture of you carrier status. However, screening for a greater number of conditions often means a higher cost for testing.
It's a personal decision to weigh up how many conditions you'd like to screen for against the price for the testing. Fortunately, Lumi Health offers competitiver pricing on tests with some of the greatest number of conditions in Australia.
Compare the cost of the testing
Cost is a significant factor when comparing carrier screening tests. Depending on the provider, you may not receive the same level of screening for the same price.
Lumi Health offers competitive pricing and bulk billing, with one price per couple.
Check for Medicare & Bulk-billing availability
In many cases, carrier screening can be bulk billed through Medicare. This means the government will cover up to 100% of the cost of testing for eligible customers. You could pay as little as $0 out of pocket for testing.
However, not all companies and providers offer Medicare billing, so it's important to check before you order. Lumi health offers bulk billing on all tests for eligible customers.
Compare the accuracy and reliability of the provider
Different providers and testing methods have different reliability and accuracies. Be sure to find a provider with a high accuracy for test results and valid accreditations. For example, Lumi Health boasts over 99.9% accuracy in results and is NATA accredited.
Consult a healthcare professional
Lastly, always consult with a healthcare professional before deciding on a carrier screening test. They can provide personalized advice based on your medical history and needs.
What is a carrier screening test?
Carrier screening is a type of genetic test. It is prenatal testing that looks to see if you have gene variants that could cause genetic conditions in your children.
Carrier screening looks at recessive conditions. This means while you might not have any of the conditions (or any family history of them), you could be a “carrier”. If both you and your partner are carriers, you could still have a child affected with the condition.
If both you and your partner are carriers of the same gene variant, there is an increased chance of your children inheriting the condition associated with that variant. However, it does not guarantee that they will inherit the condition.
Is carrier screening worth it?
Yes! Carrier screening is generally recommended by practitioners and women's health professionals including OBGYNs.
In fact, the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists suggest:
“All women and couples planning pregnancy should be offered carrier screening”
Carrier screening test results can also help uncover conditions where you have no known family history. Even if you've already had children, carrier screening can still be worth it to inform any future pregnancies.
Additionally, the Australian government has recently included carrier screening as one of the test covered by Medicare. This means that any Medicare-eligible women who meet the criteria will be able to receive government-funded carrier screening.
Is there Medicare funding or bulk billing for carrier screening testing?
Yes – in Australia, eligible patients can take advantage of bulk billing for carrier screening prenatal testing once in their lifetime. This means people who meet the criteria can pay as little as $0 out-of-pocket for testing. Lumi Health offers bulk billing for carrier screening tests.
What to ask when choosing a carrier screening test
There's many different providers offering different levels of coverage. Here's how to choose the right test for you.
How many conditions are screened for?
Depending on the test and provider, you'll be screened for a different number of conditions. The more conditions you screen for, the more complete picture you get of your carrier status.
What is the cost? Is it bulk billed?
Tests can have different prices based on the number of conditions, provider, and sample type. Unlike Lumi, not all providers offer bulk billing which can reduce the out-of-pocket cost.
How is the sample collected?
Providers often use different methods and sample types to perform testing. Lumi uses a non-invasive, at-home cheek swab; other providers often use blood tests or saliva.
What else is included in the test?
Not all providers offer additional services such as complimentary appointments with a doctor or genetic counselling. These are included at no extra cost when you choose Lumi.
Our carrier screening options
Choose the level of screening that best suits you. All tests include a complimentary doctor consultation to determine medical necessity.
Not sure which test is right for you? Use our simple online tool to compare.
Please contact customer support if you are not medicare eligible and would like to arrange testing.
Compare our carrier screening tests
Lumi Health offers a multiple different levels of carrier screening coverage at affordable prices.
3 genes
620+ genes
1,240+ genes
How Lumi's carrier screening tests work
All our kits use a non-invasive cheek swab you can do at home.
Order online
Select a kit and complete your purchase online. Your kit will be shipped to you in the mail. No referral required.
Swab at home
Once you receive your test kit, complete the simple cheek swab in the comfort and privacy of your home.
Mail your swab
Register your kit online and send your swab back to our accredited laboratory in the pre-paid envelope.
Discover your results
After we process your sample, your results are accessible online via a secure login portal.
Frequently asked questions
Our clinical experts and genetic counselling team are here to assist you.
What is carrier screening?
Carrier screening is a type of test that checks whether you are carrying specific gene variants in your DNA that could cause genetic conditions in your children.
If both you and your partner are carriers of the same gene variant, there is an increased chance of your children inheriting the condition. However, it does not guarantee that they will inherit the condition.
Taking a carrier screening test allows women and couples to make informed reproductive choices. It can provide peace-of-mind through an understanding of your chance of having a child with a genetic condition.
What does carrier screening test for? What will I learn?
Lumi has a range of carrier screening products available, which test for a different number of genes and conditions.
Our most basic test is the Standard Carrier Screening test, which covers 3 genes and 3 of the more common inherited conditions: cystic fibrosis (CF), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and fragile X syndrome.
This test is for individual biological females and is done using a simple cheek swab. You'll learn whether you are a carrier for the 3 conditions above. If you are a carrier, your reproductive partner should also be tested so you can understand your combined chance of passing on conditions to your children.
We also offer Extended Carrier Screening and Comprehensive Carrier Screening testing options. Comprehensive screening covers more than 1,240 genes, including the 3 from Standard screening.
These tests are for couples and will include 2 swabs. You will learn about your chance as a couple of having children with any of the conditions screened for. If you change partners in the future, you may need to re-test.
What does carrier screening cost?
The cost of carrier screening varies depending on the type of screening and provider. Lumi offers bulk billed testing for Medicare-eligible customers.
The Standard Carrier Screening test costs $0.00 out of pocket for all Medicare eligible Australians. Without Medicare, the test costs $360.00.
An Extended Carrier Screening test costs $740.00 with Medicare, or $1,100.00 without Medicare. Comprehensive Carrier Screening test costs $890.00 with Medicare, or $1,250.00 without Medicare.
All our prices are in Australian Dollars ($AUD). We also provide free shipping on all orders. Prices may change during sales or other events, please refer to our shop for the most accurate pricing.
Who should do a carrier screening test?
Leading colleges for women's health practitioners in both Australia and globally recommend that “all women and couples planning pregnancy should be offered screening for genetic conditions” regardless of ethnicity or family history1.
Screening is relevant to anyone planning a pregnancy or currently pregnant. However, choosing to have carrier screening is a personal choice for you and/or your partner. Even if you've had children previously and haven't been tested yet, testing is still worthwhile.
You don't need to have a family history to be a carrier, in fact most carriers have no family history of the condition.
When should I do a carrier screening test?
Carrier screening is ideally done before you get pregnant. This gives you the most reproductive options and allows you to make the most well-informed decisions about your family planning.
However, screening can be done within the first 8 weeks of pregnancy. If you and your partner are found to be carriers of the same condition, you can choose to test your pregnancy.
How do I do the test?
Simply order a test online on our site and we will send a kit directly to you. All our tests only involve a simple cheek swab that can be done in the privacy, comfort, and safety of your own home.
The cheek swab only takes a minute to complete. There are no blood tests, needles, or saliva tests.
Screening done on a cheek swab is just as accurate as screening on blood samples. Doing your screening by a cheek swab is convenient as it is pain free and can be returned by post to the testing laboratory.
Once you've followed the instructions included in your kit, you can send your sample back to our lab using the reply-paid envelope included in your kit. Our lab will run your sample once it arrives back at our lab.
How long does it take to get my results?
Once our lab receives your sample (and your partner's sample if you've bought a couples' test), it can take 3–5 weeks (Standard Carrier Screening) or 9–12 weeks (Extended, Comprehensive Carrier Screening) for your results to be ready from when our lab receives your sample(s).
The exact time to get your results can vary depending on how long it takes for your kit to arrive via post or for your sample to be returned to our lab.
What is the advantage of couples' testing?
When planning a pregnancy, taking a carrier screening test as a couple provides you with more clinically relevant information than a single's test alone, making your results simpler and easier to understand. It is often also more cost-effective than taking multiple individual tests.
We are focused on providing reports that are the most clinically relevant to the reproductive couple being screened. Our couple-based reporting best supports healthcare providers in their patient management and reduces the need to explain non-relevant genetic information.
Over 80% of individuals are healthy carriers of at least one of the conditions in our extended and comprehensive tests. We do not report individual carrier status where it is not relevant to the health context of the couple being screened.
Are my results and data private and confidential?
Your privacy is very important to us – we believe your genetic data belongs to you. All your screening results are private and confidential – only you will have access. All your personal information is stored on highly secure, encrypted servers.
In case new evidence becomes available or re-testing is required, your sample is securely stored in our vault after analysis. However, after testing is completed, you can request to have your sample securely disposed of by our lab staff.
We never share your information with third parties without your consent. For more information, check out our Privacy Policy.
Does genetic testing affect my insurance?
Genetic test results do not need to be disclosed in relation to health insurance. However, life insurance requires an assessment of individual risk and results may need to be disclosed. There is currently a moratorium (a freeze) in place (until 30th June 2024) that limits the use of genetic test results for new life insurance policies worth up to $500,000.
Above $500,000 – the insurance company can ask for genetic test results but can only use them if relevant to the cover you’re applying for.
Do I need a doctor's referral?
No. You can organise testing directly through Lumi at any time without prior referral from a doctor or GP.
After ordering, you will be able to discuss any questions you have with one of Lumi's qualified practitioners. You will also have the opportunity to speak with a genetic counsellor about your results before your report is released.
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