Centene – a large payer covering 24 million lives in the U.S. – has released a new policy covering Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) for all pregnant women, including both single and twin pregnancies.

This is especially important for women who rely on Medicaid, as Centene manages more Medicaid lives than any other payer, covering 12.5 million women in 24 states. Under managed Medicaid, women covered by Centene will have access to NIPT, even if their state Medicaid doesn’t typically cover NIPT. Over half of all U.S. pregnancies rely on Medicaid for healthcare coverage.

This news comes on the heels of guidelines issued in August by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) that NIPT be available for all pregnant women, regardless of maternal age or baseline risk. ACOG guidelines highlight that NIPT is the most sensitive and specific screening test for common fetal aneuploidies for singletons and twins. 

In other good news for expectant parents, the International Society for Prenatal Diagnosis (ISPD) released new guidance yesterday as well, noting that NIPT is appropriate for screening twin pregnancies and may also be a viable option for screening triplet pregnancies.