What is GeneSight Testing?
GeneSight is a genetic test that tells your provider how your body handles different psychiatric medications. It is a simple cheek swab -- no needles, no blood. Results come back in about a week and show which medications are likely to work well for you, which might need a dose change, and which ones your body has trouble processing.
About 40% of people do not respond well to the first medication they try for a mental health condition. GeneSight helps cut that guesswork down so you spend less time trying things that do not work.
Who It Helps
GeneSight is especially useful if you have tried a medication and it did not help, made you feel worse, or stopped working after a while. It is also helpful if someone in your family had a bad reaction to a psychiatric medication -- how we process drugs is partly genetic.
We use it for depression, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and other conditions. The test covers over 60 FDA-approved medications.
How It Works
Your provider swabs the inside of your cheek. That is the whole test -- about two minutes. The sample goes to the GeneSight lab, and results come back in 5-7 business days. Your provider goes over the results with you and explains what they mean for your medication plan.
Insurance and Cost
Most insurance covers GeneSight, including Medicare and many Medicaid plans. If you do not have coverage, GeneSight has programs to help with cost. Most people pay $0-$330 out of pocket. We check your coverage before ordering.
What It Does Not Do
GeneSight does not diagnose anything. It does not replace your provider's judgment. What it does is give your provider better information to work with. Think of it as a head start -- instead of guessing which medication to try first, we have data that points us in the right direction.