NLHS Memo: New Funding Available – Non-Invasive Prenatal Screening (NIPT) for “High-Risk” Patients
Government funding is now available for non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPT) for patients meeting certain high-risk eligibility criteria. Funded NIPT for patients meeting these criteria can now be requested by a variety of primary care providers including (but not limited to) obstetricians and family doctors. Maternal serum screening (MSS) should not be ordered for a patient who has had NIPT completed already in that pregnancy.
Patients meeting these higher risk criteria include:
- Maternal age of 37 or greater at the time of delivery (in the case of in vitro fertilization, maternal age is dictated by the maternal age at egg retrieval)
- MSS screen-positive result for trisomy 21 or trisomy 18 (gestation confirmed by ultrasound).
- Patients with an MSS screen-positive for open spina bifida do not qualify for funded NIPT.
- History of aneuploidy in a previous pregnancy
- Twin pregnancy with demonstration of fetal cardiac activity in both
Please refer to the attached documents for further information and ordering instructions:
If a patient meets one of the above criteria for funded NIPT, please attach a copy of the eligibility criteria form with the patient’s Harmony requisition.
It is noted that the laboratory at “Invitae” is discontinuing NIPT. New NIPT orders will not be accepted by Invitae as of March 8th, 2024. Samples received by Invitae’s laboratory after March 16th, 2024, will not be processed.