Last month, Angelina Jolie stunned the world with a New York Times op/ed titled, My Medical Choice. Angelina confessed she had undergone a preventative double mastectomy and breast reconstruction as a result of learning that she carries the BRCA1 gene mutation and therefore had an 87% risk of breast cancer.

Her goal of going public with this news was to encourage public discussion, awareness and acceptance around genetic screening and the preventative measures available to women (and men) at high risk of developing cancer.

Near the end of Angelinas editorial, she writes: It has got to be a priority to ensure that more women can access gene testing and lifesaving preventive treatment, whatever their means and background, wherever they live. The cost of testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2, at more than $3,000 in the United States, remains an obstacle for many women.

Which raises a critical point: Even if you can afford to get the testing done, would you be able to afford the preventative surgeries and treatments? How much does it all cost anyway?

Can you put a price on a stay-at-home mom?

Genetic screening

The actual cost for the BRCA gene mutation tests (called BRACAnalysis) depends on how extensive the testing is and can range between $400 and $4,000. The costs are the same everywhere, since all BRACAnalysis tests are conducted by one company: Myriad Genetics (MYGN) in Salt Lake City, Utah. The publicly listed biotech company has patents on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and the tests for mutations in those genes is their main line of business. After Angelinas op/ed, Myriads stock rose to a three-year high.

How can a company patent genes that exist in all our bodies, you ask? Great question. In fact, this is a question currently being considered by the US Supreme Court. Opponents argue that Myriads monopoly on the tests hampers scientific research, keeps costs high and restricts testing accessibility.

In Myriads defense, the company claims that over 95% of patients are reimbursed for the cost of the tests through insurance and that if a patient is not insured and in financial need, they offer an assistance program to provide testing at a reduced cost or even free.

Unbreak my heart: The crippling effect of health struggles on your finances

Read this article:
The Jolie Gene: What does it all cost?

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