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CION Cancer Clinics
Paying for relatives' genetic testing after a fault is found | CION Cancer Clinics
Testing relatives usually costs much less than the first test, because they are checked only for the one fault already found. The family's total bill depends on asking for the right test, testing in the right order and asking about family offers early. This page explains how to plan it, what insurance and schemes usually cover, and who can safely wait. At CION Cancer Clinics, our team helps carriers and their families plan checks, next steps and support after a genetic result.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- How much does it cost to test relatives once a fault is found?
- What actually lowers the family's total bill?
- How do you plan and pay for a family's testing?
- The words you will see on a laboratory's price list
- Why a relative rarely needs the full panel
- What this page cannot tell you
- Four things families assume about paying for testing
- Common questions about paying for relatives' tests
The short answer
How much does it cost to test relatives once a fault is found?
Usually much less than the first test. Once one person's fault is known, relatives are tested only for that one exact change, which is a smaller and cheaper test than the broad panel used to find it. Some laboratories also offer relatives a reduced price, so the family's total bill depends a great deal on how the testing is planned.
Why the first test costs more
The first person tested is searching for an unknown fault across many genes. That takes a large panel and careful analysis. Once the fault is known, the question for each relative is narrow. Do they carry this one change or not?
Who usually ends up paying
In most Indian families the cost is shared, or it falls on the adult son or daughter who is earning. Relatives in a district may not see the point of a test for an illness they do not have. Knowing the likely cost before you ask them helps that conversation.
Why it is worth the money
A relative who tests negative can usually drop the extra screening the family history would otherwise have called for, and so can their children. A relative who tests positive can start the right checks early. Either result settles a question that would otherwise hang over that branch of the family for good.
A price quoted by a laboratory is for the test alone. Ask separately whether counselling is included.Keeping the cost down
What actually lowers the family's total bill?
Four decisions make more difference than shopping around between laboratories.
Ask for the targeted test
Relatives need a test for the known family variant, not a new broad panel. Make sure the request names the gene and the exact variant from the first report.
Ask about a family offer before the first test
Some laboratories test relatives at a reduced price, or free for a limited period after the first result. Ask what the offer is and how long it lasts.
Test in the right order
A relative who tests negative does not pass the fault on. Their children then need no test at all. Testing parents before their children often saves the family money.
Usually tested first
- Brothers and sisters of the carrier
- The carrier's parents, if living
- Adult children of the carrier
Skip tests that answer nothing
An obligate carrier's status may already be clear from the family tree. Young children are usually not tested for adult-onset faults. A counsellor can tell you who can wait.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistStep by step
How do you plan and pay for a family's testing?
Get the first report and the family letter
These name the exact variant. Every relative's laboratory will ask for them.
Ask the first laboratory about relatives
Find out what it charges a relative for the targeted test, whether a family offer applies and whether samples can be collected in a district.
List who needs testing, in order
Draw up the list with the counsellor. Start with those whose result changes their own care or their children's testing.
Check each relative's cover
Ask each person's insurer or employer scheme whether an outpatient predictive test is covered. Most will say no, but some do.
Agree who pays for whom
Settle this openly before samples are taken. Families that leave it unsaid often find some relatives are never tested.
On the quote
The words you will see on a laboratory's price list
- Targeted test
- A test for one known family variant only. Also called single-site or known familial variant testing.
- Panel
- A broad test that reads many genes at once. It is used to find an unknown fault, not to check for a known one.
- Index case
- The first person in the family found to carry the fault. Their report is what the relatives' tests are matched to.
- Cascade testing
- Offering testing to relatives step by step, outward from the first carrier, one branch of the family at a time.
- Family offer
- A reduced or free price some laboratories give relatives of a person they tested, often for a limited period.
- Counselling fee
- A separate charge for the counsellor's time before and after the test. Some quotes include it and some do not.
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Side by side
Why a relative rarely needs the full panel
Targeted test for the family variant
A new broad panel
Answers the one question that matters
Searches many genes nobody asked about
Costs much less
Costs about the same as the first test
Rarely produces an uncertain finding
Can turn up uncertain variants that worry people
Needs the first report to order
Sometimes useful if there is a second family history
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot give you a price. Charges vary between laboratories and change over time, and the figure depends on the test, the sample and whether counselling is included. Ask for a written quote for each relative before samples are taken.
It cannot promise cover
Health insurance in India is largely built around treating illness, and a predictive test for a well relative is often not covered. Aarogyasri and Ayushman Bharat are also centred on treatment. Rules differ by policy and change, so check each person's cover directly rather than assuming either way.
Who this does not apply to
If no fault was found in your family, there is no targeted test for relatives to take. Paying for broad panels on well relatives in that situation rarely changes anything. Your counsellor will tell you whether anyone else is worth testing.
What a relative's result means is a question for the counsellor who ordered it.Commonly believed
Four things families assume about paying for testing
"Every relative needs the same big test I had."
Relatives need only the targeted test for the family variant. It costs much less and answers the question more cleanly.
"We have to test everyone at once."
Testing in order often saves money. If a parent tests negative, their children do not need testing for that fault at all.
"The cheapest laboratory is always the right choice."
Price matters, but the relative's test must match the exact variant on the first report. Using the same laboratory, or one that can see that report, avoids errors and repeat testing.
"Insurance will cover it because cancer runs in the family."
Many policies do not cover predictive tests for people who are well. Some do. Check each person's policy in writing rather than assuming either way.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about paying for relatives' tests
Why is a relative's test cheaper than mine was?
Your test searched many genes for an unknown fault. A relative's test checks for one known change only. It needs less laboratory work and less analysis, so it usually costs a fraction of the first test.
Should relatives use the same laboratory I used?
It often helps. That laboratory already knows the variant and may offer relatives a reduced price. Another accredited laboratory can do it too, as long as it has a copy of your full report.
Does health insurance cover a relative's test?
Often not, because the relative is well and the test is predictive. Some policies with outpatient cover do pay. Ask the insurer in writing and keep the reply, since rules differ between policies.
Does Aarogyasri pay for testing relatives?
Aarogyasri is built around treating listed illnesses, and predictive testing of well relatives is generally not part of it. Rules can change, so ask the Aarogyasri desk at the hospital before you plan around it.
Is counselling charged separately?
Sometimes. Some laboratories include a counselling session in the price and some hospitals charge for it separately. Ask for both figures, because a relative should not be tested without counselling before and after.
Who should we pay for first if money is tight?
Start with the adults whose result would change their own care soonest, and with parents whose result decides whether their children need testing. Your counsellor can help you order the list to get the most from each test.
Can a relative's sample be collected in their district?
Often, yes. Many laboratories collect blood or saliva locally and courier it. The relative still needs counselling, which can sometimes be done by phone or video call in Telugu.
Are there free testing programmes for families?
Some laboratories and research studies offer free or subsidised testing for relatives, usually with conditions and for a limited time. Ask your counsellor what is open now, and read the consent form carefully before joining a study.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's oncologists. Bring your family history or genetic report to them.
Our medical oncologists see people with a strong family history of cancer, arrange genetic counselling and testing where it fits, and plan the checks that follow.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
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Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes
- NHS — Predictive genetic tests for cancer risk genes
- MedlinePlus Genetics — What is the cost of genetic testing, and how long does it take to get the results?
- National Health Authority — Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Cost of testing relatives after a positive resultIndicative prices for the targeted testHow cascade testing worksThe order relatives are usually tested inIs genetic testing covered by health insurance?What to ask your insurer before testingCoordinating testing across a large familyKeeping many relatives' tests on track
Talk to us
Planning tests for several relatives at once?
Tell us who in the family needs testing and where they live. We will help you work out the order and what each test should be. One helpline serves every CION centre.