Genome sequencing holds great potential for diagnosing diseases, finding treatments and ultimately cutting medical costs, experts say, but insurance companies are leery of covering the still-new procedure, preventing it so far from becoming a routine part of medical care.
The out-of-pocket cost of unlocking your full genetic code is steep: $9,000.
For patients suffering from a range of diseases, from cancer to hearing loss, sequencing can help identify the gene causing the problem and help doctors determine which treatments will be most effective. Genetic sequencing can also tell patients if they’re at risk of developing certain conditions later in life.
The challenge for scientists is to prove that this kind of analysis is useful not just for sick patients but for healthy ones.
Read the full, original story: Gene screen eyes mainstream
