CAPS applauds the New York State Legislature for codifying expanded access to NIPS for all who choose screening within Medicaid, without restrictions related to age or other risk factors
CAPS applauds the New York State Legislature for codifying expanded access to NIPS for all who choose screening within Medicaid, without restrictions related to age or other risk factors.
December 1, 2022, Washington, DC. – The Coalition for Access to Prenatal Screening (CAPS) applauds the New York State Legislature for codifying expanded coverage of cell- free DNA (cfDNA)-based noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) in Medicaid. Governor Kathy Hochul signed the bill into law on Friday, November 25, 2022.
A8604 was introduced by Assemblywoman Forrest to ensure that those in Medicaid will have access to cfDNA-based NIPS regardless of age or other risk factors. A companion bill S8157 was introduced in the Senate by Senator Cleare. The passage of this bill follows New York State Medicaid’s expansion of coverage for cfDNA-based NIPS to all pregnant people in May 2022. There are now twenty-seven state Medicaid programs in the country that have expanded access to cfDNA-based NIPS to all pregnant people.
NIPS represents a major advance in screening for common fetal chromosomal aneuploidies through the analysis of millions of cfDNA fragments in the blood of pregnant people. Chromosomal aneuploidies are characterized by an abnormal number of chromosomes, which may cause genetic disorders in a newborn baby, including some birth defects. Prenatal screening for chromosomal aneuploidies using analysis of serum proteins has been the standard of care for decades. However, cfDNA-based NIPS has become the preferred method of prenatal screening for many healthcare providers and patients since its introduction to clinical practice in 2011.
Numerous professional organizations, including the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), the International Society for Prenatal Diagnosis (ISPD), the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), and the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) have recognized cfDNA-based NIPS as a screening option for all pregnancies, given appropriate patient counseling regarding the performance, risks and benefits of such testing screening.
We thank the New York State Department of Health, the New York State Legislature, and Governor Hochul for their commitment to providing comprehensive maternal health care to those in Medicaid. CAPS looks forward to working with other state Medicaid agencies to expand access to cfDNA-based NIPS in the new year.
To learn more about cfDNA-based NIPS and CAPS, visit https://capsprenatal.com/.