How much does a NIPT test cost in Israel?
There is no single price. NIPT is performed privately in Israel and is not included in the national health basket, so each provider sets its own price and each level of the test is priced differently. What you actually pay also depends on what you can claim back from your HMO's supplementary insurance and from private health insurance. Two women can pay very different amounts for the same test, which is why the practical question is not the list price but your net cost.
What determines the price
The level of the test
A basic screen covering the common trisomies and a genome-wide screen covering all chromosomes are not priced the same. Basic or Advanced
Where the analysis is performed
A test whose sample is shipped to a laboratory abroad and a test analysed in Israel are two different processes, with different logistics chains. DaNAcare is analysed in Israel, at GGA laboratories.
What is included beyond the analysis
This is the part that is easiest to miss when comparing prices. Is the blood draw included? Is there a surcharge for a home visit? Is the consultation call included? What happens if no result is produced and a repeat sample is needed, and who pays for it? Who delivers the answer, and is an explanation included?
The two refund channels
Many women in Israel have two separate sources of refund for the same test: the supplementary insurance of their HMO, and in addition a private health insurance policy bought through an agent, through an employer or as a family policy. These are two different bodies, with two different budgets and two different procedures, and they do not talk to each other. Checking only with your HMO can therefore leave a second refund on the table.
1 · Your HMO's supplementary insurance
Clalit Mushlam or Platinum, Maccabi Sheli and equivalents. The refund is subject to the pregnancy budget of your plan and to the balance left in it. Check it in your HMO's personal area or by phone.
2 · Private health insurance
A policy bought through an insurance agent, through your workplace, or as a family policy. The refund through this channel is sometimes larger than the HMO's, and it is assessed entirely separately. Many women do not know they have such a policy, because it was bought by a partner or through an employer.
What to ask your insurer or agent
- Does the policy cover genetic tests or prenatal screening, and under which clause?
- What is the refund amount and the annual ceiling?
- Is a doctor's referral or prior approval required?
- Have you passed the qualifying period?
- Can you claim from both the HMO and the policy, and in which order?
That last question matters most: sometimes you can claim from both, and sometimes claiming from one rules out the other. The order makes a difference, and it is worth checking before rather than after.
The rule that saves the most money
Check what you are entitled to before the test, not after. Once the test has been done you can no longer obtain a referral that was required, and in some cases you cannot claim retroactively. One phone call before booking is usually worth several hundred shekels.
What to ask before comparing prices
- Exactly what is screened at this price, and at which level.
- Whether the blood draw is included, and what a home visit costs.
- What happens if no result is produced: is the repeat sample included, and within what timeframe.
- Which documents you will receive for a refund claim.
- What the turnaround time is, and from which moment it is counted.
About the testHow it worksWhere to take it
Is NIPT covered by the health basket in Israel?
No. It is performed privately. Partial refunds may be available through supplementary insurance and private policies.
Do I need a doctor's referral to take it?
Generally no. A referral or another document may be required for a refund claim, so it is worth checking with your insurer beforehand.
I have private insurance as well. Is that relevant?
Very. Private health insurance is a separate channel from your HMO, with its own budget and procedures, and the refund is sometimes larger. Many women are not aware they have such a policy.
Does the price change with the week of pregnancy?
No. It changes with the level of the test and with what is included in the service.
