Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
What a genetic counselling appointment costs in Hyderabad | CION Cancer Clinics
A genetic counselling session in Hyderabad usually costs between one and five thousand rupees, and some centres include it in the price of the test. The test itself is billed separately and costs much more. This page sets out what the fee buys, what is usually extra, what insurance and government schemes tend to cover, and how to get a written estimate before anyone gives a sample. At CION Cancer Clinics in Hyderabad, our oncologists review your family history with you and guide you to the right genetic counselling and testing.
NG
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 a genetic counselling appointment cost in Hyderabad?
- What does the counselling fee actually buy?
- What do counselling and testing usually cost?
- What is usually included, and what is usually extra?
- How do families in Hyderabad keep the total cost down?
- Four things families believe about the cost
- What this page cannot tell you
- Common questions about counselling costs in Hyderabad
The short answer
How much does a genetic counselling appointment cost in Hyderabad?
Expect to pay roughly ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 for one genetic counselling session in Hyderabad. Some hospitals fold counselling into the price of the test, so the session shows as free on the bill. Either way, it is the cheapest part of the process, and it is the part that decides whether anything else needs paying for.
Why the range is so wide
The price follows who you see and where. A session with a genetic counsellor at a hospital clinic is priced differently from one with a clinical geneticist, who is a doctor. A long first appointment that builds a family tree across three generations usually costs more than a short follow-up to explain a result. Online sessions are sometimes priced lower.
Counselling usually comes in two parts
The first session happens before any test. It draws the family tree, decides who should be tested first and asks whether a test is worth doing at all. The second happens after the result, to explain what it means and who else in the family should be told. Ask whether one price covers both sessions, or whether each is charged separately.
The cheapest outcome is also a common one: a counsellor tells you that no test is needed.What you are paying for
What does the counselling fee actually buy?
Four things happen in a proper counselling appointment. Each one saves money or worry later.
Your family tree
The counsellor draws out both sides of the family, with who had which cancer and at roughly what age. This is the step that decides whether testing is justified. Families who skip it often pay for the wrong test, or test the wrong person first.
The right test, on the right person
A broad panel is not always needed, and a well relative is rarely the right place to start. Getting this choice right can save more than the counselling fee itself.
Often decided here
- Which relative gives the first sample
- How many genes are worth reading
- Whether an old tissue block can be used
Consent and the hard questions
What happens if a fault is found, who you will tell, and whether it could come up in marriage talks or an insurance form. These are raised before the test, while you can still decide not to go ahead.
Explaining the result
The session after the test turns a laboratory report into a plan. It covers what changes about screening, which relatives should be offered a test, and what the result does not mean.
A report read alone, without this session, is easily misread.Indicative cost
What do counselling and testing usually cost?
These are broad ranges seen across Hyderabad hospitals and laboratories, not quotes. What you pay depends on the centre, the test and what is bundled in.
₹1,000 – ₹5,000
A genetic counselling session
Before or after the test. Sometimes included in the test price.
₹12,000 – ₹30,000
A first multigene panel
For the relative who already has cancer. Usually the largest single cost.
₹8,000 – ₹20,000
A targeted test of a few genes
Used when the family pattern points clearly to one or two genes.
₹3,000 – ₹8,000
Testing a relative for a known fault
Looks for one change only, so it costs much less.
Indicative only. Prices vary between hospitals and laboratories, and change over time. Stand-alone counselling and genetic tests are often not covered by insurance or government schemes, while scans and treatment that follow may be. Call the helpline for an estimate against your own cover.
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Side by side
What is usually included, and what is usually extra?
Usually part of the counselling fee
Usually billed separately
Drawing and reviewing the family tree
The genetic test itself
Deciding who should be tested first
Retrieving a tissue block from another hospital
Explaining consent before the test
Tests for each relative once a fault is found
Explaining what the result means for you
Scans and checks that follow a positive result
A letter you can share with relatives
Travel, and a second visit if you need one
Keeping the bill down
How do families in Hyderabad keep the total cost down?
Start with the relative who already has cancer. One test on the right person answers the question for everyone. If that person tests negative, well relatives usually need no test at all, and the spending stops there.
Compare the total, not the headline price
Some centres quote one price that covers both counselling sessions and the test. Others charge each piece separately. Add them up before you compare, and ask whether a follow-up call to explain the result is included.
Check schemes and insurance before the visit
Aarogyasri and Ayushman Bharat are built around treatment rather than risk testing, so a stand-alone genetic test is often not covered. Screening and treatment that follow a result may be. Most health policies do not pay for outpatient counselling unless they include outpatient cover. Ask the scheme desk or your insurer before the appointment, not after it.
Combine visits if you are travelling
If you are coming from a district, ask whether counselling and the blood sample can happen on the same day. Seeing several relatives in one appointment also saves each of them a journey.
There is no EMI scheme for genetic counselling or testing. A written estimate lets the family plan instead.Commonly believed
Four things families believe about the cost
"Counselling is an extra we can skip to save money."
It is usually the smallest part of the bill and the one most likely to save you money. It decides whether a test is needed at all, and it stops the family paying for the wrong test on the wrong person.
"A more expensive test must be a better one."
A test that reads more genes is not automatically more useful. More genes can also mean more uncertain findings that nobody can act on. The right test is the one that fits your family history.
"Every relative needs their own full panel."
Once a fault is found in one person, relatives are tested for that single change only. That test costs far less and gives a clearer yes or no answer.
"If insurance will not pay, testing is out of reach."
Testing the right person first often keeps the total within what a family can plan for. Ask for a written estimate of the whole plan, and ask whether any sponsored testing programme applies to your cancer type.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you what your own appointment will cost. That depends on the centre, the counsellor, the test your family needs and the cover you hold. The only figure you can rely on is a written estimate, given before any sample is taken.
It cannot tell you whether you need testing
Price is the second question. The first is whether a test would change anything for your family, and that is answered by a counsellor who has seen your family tree. If you already hold a report, what your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test.
Who this does not apply to
Most people reading this do not need a genetic test. One relative diagnosed at an older age, with no pattern of young or rare cancers, rarely justifies one. Testing a tumour to choose a medicine is a different test with different prices, covered on the targeted therapy pages.
A counsellor is as willing to tell you a test is not needed as to recommend one.Questions we are asked
Common questions about counselling costs in Hyderabad
Is genetic counselling covered by Aarogyasri?
Usually not as a stand-alone service. Aarogyasri is built around treatment, so counselling and a risk test on their own are rarely covered. Screening or treatment that follows a result may be. Rules change, so ask the scheme desk before the appointment. The helpline can tell you what currently applies at CION.
Will my health insurance pay for the counselling session?
Only if your policy includes outpatient cover, and even then genetic services are often excluded. Some employer policies are more generous. Ask your insurer in writing, and keep the counsellor's note explaining why testing was advised, because it helps with any claim.
Is an online session cheaper than coming in person?
Sometimes, and it saves travel for families outside the city. The first conversation about the family tree works well by video. The blood sample still has to be taken in person, though it may be possible to arrange that closer to home.
Do I pay again for the session after the result?
It depends on the centre. Some include the result session in the first fee or in the test price, and others charge it separately. Ask before you book, and ask whether a follow-up phone call is included if a question comes up later.
Why is my relative's test so much cheaper than mine was?
Your test searched many genes for an unknown fault. Once that fault is known, your relative's test looks for one change only. It is simpler and cheaper, and it gives a clearer answer than a broad panel would.
Can we bring the whole family to one appointment?
Yes, and it often saves money and travel. Several relatives can be seen together, and the family tree only needs to be drawn once. Each person still gives their own consent, and each may need their own test if a fault is found.
What if we cannot afford the test after counselling?
Say so in the session. The counsellor can help you decide who should be tested first, whether a smaller test is enough, and whether any sponsored programme applies. There is no EMI scheme, but a clear estimate lets the family plan ahead.
How do I get an estimate before booking?
Call the CION helpline and say who in the family has had cancer and who wants testing. Someone will explain the likely cost of counselling and testing, and what your insurance or scheme may cover. Ask for the estimate in writing before any sample is taken.
What moves the figure
What affects the cost
Four things change the total more than anything else.
The technique used
A shaped or image-guided delivery costs more than a conventional one, and is chosen on clinical grounds rather than preference.
How many sessions
The total is driven by the number of sittings or cycles, not by a single per-visit figure.
Supporting tests
Scans, blood work and pathology done alongside treatment are billed separately.
Your cover
Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS or cashless insurance usually change the out-of-pocket figure substantially.
Paying for it
Insurance, schemes and payment
What you actually pay usually differs a great deal from the sticker figure.
AarogyasriEmpanelled. Bring the card and a referral where you have one.
CGHS / ECHS / EHSAccepted at CION centres for eligible treatment.
Cashless insuranceMost major insurers are empanelled. Pre-authorisation is handled by our desk.
Self-payItemised estimate given before treatment starts. No EMI scheme exists.
Accreditation and empanelment
- NABH
- NABL
- ISO 9001:2015
- ArogyaSri empanelled
- CGHS accepted
- ECHS accepted
- EHS accepted
- Major cashless insurers
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)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
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Where to find us
Our centres in and around Hyderabad
Addressed by landmark, because that is how this city navigates. One helpline books a consultation at any of these centres, and your team will tell you where counselling and testing take place.
Warangal
Vizag
Sources
- MedlinePlus Genetics — What is the cost of genetic testing, and how long does it take to get the results?
- National Cancer Institute — Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes
- National Health Authority — Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
- Government of Telangana — Aarogyasri Health Care Trust
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
Booking genetic counselling at CIONHow to book, and what to have ready when you callOnline genetic counselling from a districtSave a journey for the first conversationBringing the whole family to one appointmentOne visit, one family tree, fewer feesGenetic testing cost by test typeIndicative prices for each kind of test
Talk to us
Want a clear estimate before you book?
Tell us who in the family has had cancer and what cover you hold. We will set out the likely cost of counselling and testing in plain terms. One helpline serves every CION centre.