ACMG Opposition to HR 3235—and the Backlash

On January 9, the American College of Medical Genetics sent a letter to members of the House of Representatives, voicing their opposition to HR 3235, a bill that would allow genetic counselors to be reimbursed by CMS for providing genetic counseling. The ACMG recommended additional language related to the scope of practice of genetic counselors, most notably opposing the ordering of genetic tests by genetic counselors.Ellen Matloff, a certified genetic counselor and the founder and CEO of My Gene Counsel, discusses the historical and social context for this opposition and explains why she sees this as part of a broader #MeToo moment in genetic counseling.

Related Links and Resources

ACMG Letter to Congress

Grey Genetics blog post article on Medicare and HR 3235: “Does Medicare Cover Genetic Counseling?”

H.R.3235 - Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act of 2019

Erica Ramos’ (Past NSGC President) twitter thread on GCs and test ordering

Stoll, Katie. “Is There A Doctor in the House? Physician-Mediated DTC Genetic Testing.” The DNA Exchange. January 6, 2020.

Adverse Events in Genetics Testing: A Case Series

Adverse Events in Cancer Genetic Testing: the third case series

Adverse Events in Genetic Testing: The Fourth Case Series

My Gene Counsel

NSGC Resources to Advocate for H.R.3235

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