Assessing Willingness to Pay for Genetic Testing Among Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Data from the Omnibus...

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Health Economics
• Public Health

Background:

• Population genetic screening (PGS) identifies hereditary cancer and cardiovascular disease risks.
• Lack of insurance coverage for PGS is a significant barrier to adoption.
• Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries may face additional barriers to cost-free screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between insurance type and willingness to pay (WTP) for PGS.
• To identify factors influencing WTP for genetic testing among US adults.
• To understand the economic barriers to accessing genetic screening services.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional online survey of 602 US adults was conducted in January 2023.
• Andersen's model informed variable selection for the study.
• An ordered probit model analyzed the relationship between insurance type and WTP for PGS.

Main Results:

• Over 70% of respondents expressed willingness to pay for genetic testing.
• WTP for PGS was not significantly associated with insurance type (including Medicare and Medicaid).
• Lower trust levels and lack of family cancer history correlated with lower WTP for genetic screening.

Conclusions:

• Willingness to pay for population genetic screening is independent of insurance type.
• A substantial portion of the population remains unwilling to pay for PGS, highlighting value perception variability.
• Further research is needed to understand individual valuation of genomic screening tests.