NEW YORK – Color and the Teamsters Health and Welfare Fund of Philadelphia and Vicinity announced on Tuesday that they have partnered to provide access to Color's clinical grade genomic services to the members of 13 Teamster union locals, as well as their spouses and adult dependents.
These nearly 14,000 members and their families have access to physician-ordered genetic tests, board-certified genetic counselors, and clinical pharmacists, in order to better understand their risk for certain hereditary cancers, heart disease, and pharmacogenomic responses.
In the first two months of the program, more than 1,100 members, spouses, and adult dependents have already taken Color's test. Among those participants, 53 percent of the individuals who learned of an increased risk for hereditary cancer and heart conditions would not have met insurance coverage requirements for genetic testing, Color said.
"Like other specialty programs under the fund's benefits plan, Color's program offers members and their families an opportunity to better understand potential risk through its genetic testing program," Maria Scheeler, Executive Director of the Teamsters Fund, said in a statement. "This program gives participating members in-depth knowledge about their hereditary risk and provides information to help them make informed medical and lifestyle decisions."