Foresight Carrier Screen guide: Accuracy, conditions tested, and cost

When you start planning for a baby, you’ll likely hear about carrier screening — a test that can determine your risk of passing certain genetic conditions to your children. 

Many companies offer this type of testing, and one of the options your doctor might suggest is the Foresight Carrier Screen by Myriad Genetics.

In this article, we’ll explore the Myriad Foresight Carrier Screen, its testing capabilities, reliability, and cost. We’ll also introduce Nucleus, another carrier screening provider that tests for over 900 conditions using Whole-Genome Sequencing (WGS).

What is a Foresight Carrier Screen?

Source: Myriad Genetics

The Foresight Carrier Screen is a genetic test that checks if you carry genetic variants linked to inherited conditions that can be passed on to your children. The test has multiple panel options and can screen for up to 175 conditions, including common and rare inherited conditions like cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, and Tay-Sachs disease. 

Depending on your family history, ethnicity, or personal background, your provider may recommend a targeted Foresight panel to check for specific conditions or an expanded panel to cast a wider net and rule out a broader range of possibilities. 

Since most carriers don’t show symptoms, tests like Foresight provide valuable insights, even when everything seems normal. With this information, you and your partner can explore the most informed and proactive steps for growing your family.

Bonus — Read our guides on other genetic tests couples should consider during family planning:

• Preconception genetic testing

• Prenatal genetic testing

• What is a NIPT?

• Quad screen vs. NIPT

How does the Myriad Foresight Carrier Screen work?

Unlike physician-ordered tests you can purchase directly, Myriad Genetics’ women’s health panel tests require your healthcare provider’s approval. Your doctor must either recommend the test or approve your request, ensuring that it aligns with Myriad’s policies.

Once your provider decides to order the test on your behalf, they will follow these steps:

1. Create an account: They can create a provider profile on Myriad Genetics’ website to place the order.

2. Select a test kit: Your provider will choose between a blood or saliva collection kit.

3. Sample collection: Usually, you’d have to schedule an appointment to collect your sample.

4. Shipping the sample: Your provider will then send the sample to Myriad’s lab and complete the test request form.

If you opt for a saliva test, it’s recommended that you avoid eating, drinking, chewing gum, or brushing your teeth for at least 30 minutes before sample collection. This is done to prevent sample contamination.

Although your provider handles the test order, you can track its progress by creating a patient account on Myriad’s website, which will update you on each stage of the testing process.

Our expert review of the Foresight Career Screen by Myriad Genetics

When reviewing the Foresight Carrier Screen, our team considered four key questions most patients raise when trying to understand the test’s value, accuracy, and cost:

1. What does the Foresight Carrier Screen test for?

2. When should you expect your Myriad Foresight Carrier Screen results?

3. How reliable is the Myriad Women’s Health Foresight Carrier Screen?

4. How much does the Foresight Carrier Screen cost?

In the following sections, we’ll answer these questions in detail.

1. What does the Foresight Carrier Screen test for?

The Foresight Carrier Screen offers four panels, ranging from basic ones that test for a few conditions to more comprehensive options that screen for over a hundred. 

The available panels include:

1. Fundamental

2. Fundamental Plus

3. Universal

4. Universal Plus

The table below outlines the Myriad Foresight Carrier Screen disease list, depending on the panel you select:

All Foresight Carrier Screen panels include testing for serious inherited conditions. However, if you have specific requirements, Myriad allows you to customize your screening panel to better match your medical history and risk factors.

The Foresight Carrier Screen uses next-generation sequencing (NGS), a more advanced technology than genotyping used by companies like 23andMe. While genotyping only examines 0.1% of your genome, NGS analyzes about 1 to 2%, allowing for a more detailed genetic analysis.

In addition to the Foresight Carrier test, Myriad Genetics also provides the Prequel Prenatal Screen, which is intended for women who are already pregnant. This test screens for chromosomal abnormalities, including Down Syndrome and Patau Syndrome, as early as eight weeks of gestation.

💡 Bonus tip

NGS doesn’t provide a complete picture of your genetic makeup, and it can miss some rare variants. The most advanced technology available today is whole-genome sequencing, which examines nearly 100% of your DNA. This approach, used by Nucleus, allows for the most comprehensive screening and tests for over 900 conditions, far more than standard NGS panels.

2. When should you expect your Myriad Foresight Carrier Screen results?

Source: Myriad Genetics

Carrier screening results can take anywhere from 14 days to several weeks, depending on the provider you choose and the number of conditions tested. Myriad claims that their Foresight Carrier Screen results are typically available within two weeks, regardless of the panel selected. 

Once your Foresight Carrier results are ready, they’ll be sent directly to your healthcare provider. However, they don’t release results on weekends to ensure a healthcare provider can review them with you.

[Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/BabyBumps/comments/1aszhbs/comment/kqv5dy5/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)(260)

You can also access your results by:

• Checking them via your Myriad patient portal

• Downloading a PDF copy of your records from your portal

If you switch healthcare providers, you can request Myriad to forward your results to your new physician to ensure continuity of care.

Despite Myriad’s promised turnaround time of two weeks, user feedback suggests that delays are common. One person noted that Myriad didn’t test both partners simultaneously by default, so after the mother’s results came in, they had to wait several weeks for the father’s, causing unnecessary stress. Another reported that their results kept getting delayed due to quality control issues. 

[Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/pregnant/comments/18me8li/comment/ke3slnw/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)(300)

These delays can be frustrating, especially for those who are already pregnant and relying on carrier screening to make time-sensitive decisions.

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3. How reliable is the Myriad Women’s Health Foresight Carrier Screen?

Myriad claims to have implemented rigorous safeguards to ensure the accuracy of its Foresight Carrier Screen results. 

They state that their test offers a detection rate exceeding 99% for most known variants across all ethnicities. Their universal panel has also been validated in a peer-reviewed journal and is backed by over 20 peer-reviewed studies and data from more than two million screened patients.

While no genetic test is completely error-free, and false positives and negatives can still occur, customer reviews don’t often mention concerns about result accuracy. Instead, a common issue raised is the reliability of Myriad’s service itself. 

Some users have reported their samples being lost or requiring multiple retests. Meanwhile, others have experienced delays that led to results being released far beyond the estimated turnaround time. When combined, these can cause issues, particularly for couples awaiting critical information.

[Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/BabyBumps/comments/199ursu/comment/kih1248/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)(280)

Bonus: Learn about the accuracy of the following prenatal genetic tests:

• NIPT vs. amniocentesis 

• First-trimester screening vs. NIPT

• Cell-free DNA vs. NIPT

• NIPT vs. sequential screening 

4. How much does the Foresight Carrier Screen cost?

One of people's biggest concerns about the Myriad Foresight Carrier Screen is the company’s billing policies. Myriad Genetics isn’t transparent about pricing, and while it accepts insurance, it’s difficult to know your out-of-pocket cost upfront. 

The company submits the Myriad Foresight Carrier Screen CPT code to your insurer, who then determines coverage. But if you want an estimate, you’ll need to contact Myriad’s billing department or check with your provider directly.

Most reviews on the Foresight Carrier test specifically raised concerns regarding:

• Insurance being billed even when customers requested to pay out-of-pocket

• Bills arriving late, making it difficult to plan financially

• Final costs being significantly higher than initial estimates

One user even reported receiving a bill of over $4,000 for their screening: 

[Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/IVF/comments/1fw6jg6/myriad_genetic_testing_denial_by_insurance_for_ivf/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)

When billing discrepancies arise, customers often have to resolve them through lengthy discussions with Myriad’s support team, making the screening process more burdensome.

Foresight Carrier Screening: Is this test the best option for you?

To help you decide if the Foresight Carrier Screen is right for you, we’ve broken down the key pros and cons based on customer feedback and expert analysis:

Myriad’s Foresight Carrier Screen has notable strengths because it tests for serious inherited conditions and even allows panel customization based on your specific clinical needs. However, it also has significant drawbacks, particularly regarding pricing transparency and billing issues.

Given how crucial carrier screening is, especially for couples who need timely and reliable results to make informed reproductive decisions, it’s often best to choose a provider that not only offers comprehensive testing but also provides clear, upfront pricing.

That’s where Nucleus comes in. The company offers an extended carrier screening panel that checks if you carry 900+ genetic conditions using whole-genome sequencing. Nucleus also offers a fixed price of $499, meaning you won’t have to worry about hidden fees or surprise bills.

Nucleus: Comprehensive carrier screening for 900+ conditions at a fixed price

Nucleus is a genetic testing provider that offers clinical-grade expanded carrier screening using WGS. Unlike next-generation sequencing and genotyping, which analyze only a small fraction of your genome (less than 2%), WGS examines nearly 100% of your DNA, allowing it to detect rare genetic variants that other methods would miss.

This advanced technology enables Nucleus to test for over 900 genetic conditions, far more than most carrier screening panels, including:

• Cognitive health, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases

• Cancers, including prostate, breast, and colorectal

• Age-related macular degeneration

• Hypertension

• Coronary artery disease 

Another useful feature of Nucleus is partner testing and syncing. If you and your partner order the test, your results are automatically synced to calculate your combined reproductive risks and present them in clear, easy-to-understand reports.

From there, you can use Nucleus AI to get personalized next-step recommendations or, if you prefer speaking to a professional, Nucleus has partnered with SteadyMD, a network of board-certified genetic counselors who can guide you through your results and family planning options.

How to get started with Nucleus and order your kit

Nucleus makes expanded carrier screening simple and transparent. Each kit costs $499, covering everything from the materials required for sample collection and instructions to shipping and comprehensive reports. However, if you and your partner decide to get tested together, you’ll get a $200 discount and only pay $798 for two kits.

To get started, follow these three steps:

1. Sign up for Nucleus

2. Provide your personal details 

3. Order your kit 

Results are typically available in six to eight weeks, and you’ll get insights into your genetic risks for 900+ inherited conditions. This information can help you make informed decisions about your reproductive health and family planning. 

If you’d like to have a more in-depth carrier screening experience, you can get started with Nucleus today.

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Featured image source: Pavel Danilyuk