Genetic testing has long been part of Canada's health system, but the scope of genetic testing is growing into new areas. Whereas traditional tests predominantly foretell the health of future generations, new tests increasingly tell individuals about their own health and risks. And whereas traditional tests have focused on rare, single-gene, genetically determined disorders, new tests target common, complex, and multifactorial diseases in which genetics plays only a part. These trends lead to unprecedented clinical and popular interest in genetic tests, and the expanded use of testing will affect both population health and health care costs. Whether the net effects will be positive or negative is a matter of heated debate. Early policy decisions about how tests will be disseminated, provided, and funded will greatly influence the cost and other impacts of new predictive genetic tests.

This report examines the potential effect of new predictive genetic test services on health care costs.

The full report may be downloaded from the link below.

FULL REPORT Predictive Genetic Tests and Health Care Costs 99 pages | 290 k | PDF format

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January 2002