Stand Up for APA Launches Updated Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) Coverage Scorecard for Fortune 100 Companies, Urges UnitedHealthcare to Remove Prior Authorization Requirements

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Stand Up for APA, a nonprofit working to ensure that women of every background, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status in the United States receive access to the most accurate non-invasive prenatal testing options, today launched an updated online Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) Coverage Scorecard. Letters have been sent to CEOs and top executives of Fortune 100 companies that use UnitedHealthcare (UHC) for their employee health insurance, urging them to ask their provider to remove prior authorization (PA) requirements for access to NIPT.

NIPT is endorsed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) as the most sensitive and specific screening option for pregnant women. Equitable access to NIPT options ensures fewer expecting mothers suffer from the consequences of getting inaccurate information about their babies from older prenatal screening tests.

UHC is the only national insurance company that still requires PA for access to NIPT – and SUFAPA calls on employers to urge UHC to lift any PA requirements so that their affected employees receive equitable care and unrestricted access to NIPT.

"Access to equitable care for all women has never been more urgent, and these UHC-insured Fortune 100 companies have the critical opportunity right now to ensure their employees receive access to the top maternal and prenatal care options without any barriers by urging UHC to remove PA requirements for NIPT access," said Brianna Wetherbe, Director and Board Member of Stand Up for APA.

The Stand Up for APA scorecard categorizes Fortune 100 companies depending on whether they:

1. Currently offer coverage for NIPT without PA requirements as part of providing the best maternal and prenatal care coverage to their employees;
2. Are companies covered by UHC who have called on their provider to remove their PA requirements for NIPT or;
3. Are companies covered by UHC who have not yet made a request for their provider to eliminate their PA requirements for NIPT.

To learn more about NIPT access and Stand Up for APA, please visit standup4apa.org 

Stand Up for Accurate Prenatal Answers (Stand Up for APA) is a nonprofit founded by mothers for mothers, working to ensure that all women in the United States are treated equally by receiving the most accurate, non-invasive prenatal genetic screening information available about the health of their baby, regardless of race, color, age, or socioeconomic status. We are driven to remove limitations related to insurance coverage and income or age discrimination that prevent many pregnant women from being offered the most accurate prenatal screening information available.   

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SOURCE Stand Up for APA