The economics of clinical genetics services. I. Preview

To an ever increasing extent, a variety of economic factors are affecting the delivery of clinical genetics services. These economic factors, which we enumerate with an historical perspective, influence how genetics professionals, patients, and third-party payers relate to genetics services. From the perspectives of each of these interested parties, the deficiency of objective information about the current economic situation is striking. The recent history of charges and reimbursement for our genetics clinic illustrates both one kind of data that is readily available and how modification of administrative procedures can improve the economic balance sheet. However, several characteristics of clinical genetics limit the possibility of economic self-sufficiency.