Non-invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) Requisitions
OHIP-Funded NIPT
- OHIP-funded NIPT is currently offered through two provincial labs: Dynacare and LifeLabs.
- The funding for NIPT varies and will depend on the reason for testing.
- The patient / client can bring the completed requisition to a Dynacare or LifeLabs location, depending on which requisition is used.
All twin pregnancies are now eligible for OHIP-funded NIPT
- Dynacare: The MOH Checklist has been updated to reflect this change.
- LifeLabs: The MOH Checklist (page 2 of the requisition) is in the process of being updated to reflect the change in OHIP-funding criteria for twin pregnancies. Until the update is completed, we encourage you to write out "twin pregnancy" under "Indication Category 1" to order OHIP-funded NIPT for your patient.
- For most twin pregnancies, NIPT can be ordered through either LifeLabs or Dynacare.
- There are two types of IVF twin pregnancies that can only have NIPT through Dynacare: donor egg was used or a surrogate is involved.
Provincial NIPT Labs at a Glance
| Singletons | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 - Twin pregnancies generally cannot be screened for sex chromosome aneuploidies. However, PanoramaTM can screen for sex chromosome aneuploidies in monozygotic twin pregnancies only. 2 - "Vanishing" twin pregnancy is a pregnancy that started as a twin pregnancy with subsequent loss of fetal heart activity or loss of the embryo in one of the pregnancy sacs. |
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| Multiple Gestation (twins or more) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 - Chorionicity, rather than zygosity, has an impact on the outcome of twin pregnancies. Zygosity testing can complement, but not replace, ultrasound evaluation of chorionicity in some clinical scenarios. For example, evaluating zygosity through NIPT may impact pregnancy surveillance when chronicity assignment is uncertain, and can help interpret “high risk” aneuploidy results. |
Private Pay NIPT
- If patients do not meet any of the MOH criteria for OHIP-funded NIPT, they may choose to pay for private-pay NIPT, meaning that they can pay for this testing themselves or they may get it covered through private health insurance.
- Prenatal Screening Ontario is unable to endorse any specific private-pay test or laboratory.
- If you are a patient who is interested in pursuing private-pay NIPT, please talk to your health care provider about which test might be best for you, and read about what factors you may choose to consider.
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