Consumer costs for genetic services.

Since the mid-1970's, inflation and changing patterns of subsidies for genetic service centers in the United States have increased the costs of these services for patients and insurers. We have monitored this trend by periodically surveying the providers of these services to determine their current billing rates. We report here recent rates for cytogenetic laboratory services as well as for clinical in- and outpatient genetic consultations. Prices for the main laboratory and consultation services are approximately twice their 1976 level, but these increases parallel those of medical care. The inflationary trend is slowing. Geographic variations in pricing differences in charges between M.D.'s and Ph.D's, and certain personnel trends in genetic centers are apparent in our data.