Examining Impact of Insurance Type on Genetic Testing in Pediatric Neurology

Abstract

ObjectiveStudies that examine the impact of insurance type on the ease of obtaining genetic testing are scarce. Therefore, we aim to analyze how different types of insurance influence the time taken to obtain genetic test results among pediatric neurology patients. MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study from Dayton Children’s Hospital. Patients who had at least one neurologic genetic result found in the electronic medical record from 01/01/2014 to 03/01/2023 were included in the study. Variables collected include demographics, health insurance data, and genetic testing results. Results141 patients were included. Most patients were male (51.8%), white (78.0%), and not Hispanic/Latino (96.5%). The mean age at time of genetic testing was 7.9 years. Most patients had Medicaid as their primary insurance (60.3%) as compared to private insurance (39.7%). 215 genetic reports were examined (137 Medicaid charts and 78 private insurance charts). There was no statistically significant difference from mean time lapse between test order date to results date for Medicaid patients (27.3 days) versus private insurance (31.5 days, p=0.40). Molecular genetics testing and epilepsy gene panel order were the most common tests ordered for both Medicaid (86.1%, 37.2%) and private insurance (88.5%, 39.7%, respectively). ConclusionsThe mean time between test order date to results date was comparable between private and Medicaid insured patients. Our results suggest that there is no significant difference for time to result between pediatric neurology patients who carry public versus private insurance for genetic testing.