Horizon^™

Anyone who is pregnant or planning a pregnancy can have Horizon carrier screening. Additionally, people who are thinking about donating eggs or sperm usually have carrier screening. Ask your doctor or genetic counselor if Horizon carrier screening is right for you. Please note this testing is not available to minors in some cases. Horizon carrier screening for X-linked conditions is limited to female patients.

Many couples consider having carrier screening before they become pregnant. If they are found to be at risk to have a child with a genetic condition, they could choose to undergo in vitro fertilization, test the embryos for the disorder, and only transfer embryos predicted to be unaffected. If a woman is already pregnant, she and her partner can have Horizon carrier screening at any time. Most couples are found to be at decreased risk to have a child with a serious genetic condition. Couples who are at increased risk have the opportunity to learn about the condition and plan for next steps such as prenatal diagnostic testing.

Horizon can help you and your partner learn about the chance to have a child with a genetic condition before or during pregnancy. Many people do not know they are a carrier for an inherited genetic condition until they have an affected child. While there is no test that can screen for all possible genetic conditions or birth defects, genetic carrier screening can give you information to make reproductive choices that are right for you and your family.

A man cannot be a carrier of an X-linked condition because men possess only one X chromosome. Horizon is a carrier screening test, not a diagnostic test. A man who suspects he is affected by an X-linked condition should talk to a health provider about diagnostic testing. Learn more about the basics of genetics.

Carrier screening is usually done once as your carrier status for a specific condition typically does not change. Depending on what you have been screened for in the past, your doctor or genetic counselor may recommend additional carrier screening for more conditions. So, it is possible to have carrier screening more than once. Ask your doctor or genetic counselor to find out what’s best for you.

It is important to tell your healthcare provider about your family history. They may suggest you meet with a genetic counselor to review your history and discuss options for further testing. A Horizon carrier screen may be suggested as one way to see if your family history is a risk factor for your children.

If you and your partner are both carriers for the same recessive genetic condition, you have a 1 in 4, or 25%, chance of having an affected child in each pregnancy. If a woman is a carrier of an X-linked condition, she has up to a 50% chance of having an affected child in each pregnancy.

You can ask your doctor or a genetic counselor to learn more about carrier screening. You can ask your doctor to refer you to a local genetic counselor, or find one in your area through the National Society of Genetic Counselors at www.nsgc.org. Natera has board-certified genetic counselors that are available by telephone to answer questions about Horizon carrier screening. You can schedule a complimentary genetic information session with Natera’s board-certified genetic counselors in our Patient Portal.

No. Your doctor can order Cystic Fibrosis, SMA, and Tay-Sachs Enzyme individually. Your doctor can also choose from several Horizon screening panels in which a number of diseases are screened for at the same time.

Natera accepts blood or saliva samples. In general, blood samples make more DNA available to the laboratory, but most people receive reliable results from saliva.

You and your partner are welcome to have carrier screening at the same time. This should lessen the wait time for results if one partner is found to be a carrier and your doctor recommends the other partner have screening also. Remember, for autosomal recessive conditions, both partners must be carriers for the SAME condition in order to be at risk of having an affected child. Another choice is for the female partner to have carrier screening first. If she is found to be a carrier, then the male partner can be screened for the same condition. Your doctor or genetic counselor can recommend what’s best for you.

Your doctor will usually call you and let you know that they have received the results. They may tell you the results over the phone or ask you to come into their office.

On the front page of your Horizon results report, there will be a summary box. Your results will be provided in that box. Your result may say “CARRIER for” and then the specific disease name next to it. The summary also includes the mutation or variant you carry as well as some information about the risk to have an affected child. If a variant is not found in any of the genes screened for on your Horizon test, your results will say “NEGATIVE.” This means that we did not detect any disease causing variants for which you were screened. While your risk for having a child with one of these conditions is significantly decreased, Horizon, like other carrier screens, does not screen for all possible variants.

You can ask your doctor or your genetic counselor to learn more about your Horizon carrier screening results. If you have specific questions about your results, Natera’s board-certified genetic counselors are available by telephone for a genetic information session. Please schedule a complimentary genetic information session in our Patient Portal. Most appointments are 15-30 minutes in length.

Insurance coverage for Horizon is contingent on your health insurance plan and coverage benefits. Please call Natera at 877-869-3052 (select 2 to speak with one of our billing experts) in order to verify and check your insurance coverage options. Click here to see in-network plans.

Your insurance deductible is the amount you owe for health care services your health insurance or plan covers before your health insurance or plan begins to pay. For example, if your deductible is $2,000, you will need to pay $2,000 out of pocket before your insurance begins to cover your health care expenses. If you have not met your deductible by the time you have your Horizon carrier screen, you may be required to pay some expenses out of pocket. Click here to see in-network plans.

Please visit pay.natera.com in order to settle your balance or call Natera at 877-869-3052 and select option 1.

Yes, Natera offers payments plans starting as low as $25/month*. Please call Natera at 877-869-3052 (select 2 to speak with one of our billing experts) to check eligibility and payment plan options. *Not everyone may qualify. Void where prohibited.

An EOB is NOT a bill. EOB stands for Explanation of Benefits and describes how your insurance plan pays for your test and if there is any additional amount that you may be responsible for. The EOB typically precedes your bill. If you have any questions about your EOB, please call a Natera billing specialist at 844-778-4700.