Appointments

We must receive all documents BEFORE an appointment can be made. Please make certain all required patient medical records, genetics history forms (they are also located to the right, click on “forms”), and insurance authorization forms are received prior to your child’s scheduled appointment.

Please bring the following to your genetics appointment:

• Valid insurance card and driver’s license
• Referral/Authorization – Provided by your healthcare provider
• Genetics history forms – Please complete these before your appointment

Referrals to Our Practice

Referrals can be made by your PCP or medical specialist; however, some of this is subject to your insurance benefits. Some plans do not allow a specialist to specialist referral. We require that ALL documentation (patient medical records, lab tests, genetic testing results, growth charts, etc.) and insurance authorization(s) is in place BEFORE an appointment is made. All requested documentation can be faxed to our office at 512-628-1841. Your providers can help you by sending these records on your behalf upon your request.

Telephone Calls, Lab Results and Prescription Refills

• Please note that scheduling appointments and medication refills are to be done during business hours only.
• Due to changes in genetic testing and insurance coverage, please be aware of your insurance coverage benefits. There are insurance plans that do NOT cover genetic testing. Some insurance plans will only cover genetic testing after prior authorization or predetermination. Please be aware that genetic labs may not be ordered and drawn the same day as your appointment due to these limitations. If genetic labs are approved by your insurance, you will have to return for a separate lab visit at a later date to our building’s draw station. Genetic lab orders generally cannot be sent to outside lab draw stations (such as Quest, LabCorp, CPL) because of difficulties with specimen collection and specimens not being sent to the proper lab facilities. Genetic testing results have varying turnaround time—weeks to months. At times, results may be delayed by the outside lab, this is not in our control.
• Please call your pharmacy FIRST for all medication refills. A laboratory evaluation or a clinic visit may be required prior to authorizing a prescription refill. Please note refill authorizations may take up to 2 business days to process. Medication refills will not be called in evenings or weekends. There may be additional forms, sent by the pharmacy, that need to be completed by this office for insurance purposes after a prescription refill has been sent, and before the pharmacy will dispense the prescribed medication.

Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) or Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS)

It is our division’s policy that WES or WGS ordered by non-SFC Genetics providers will not be reviewed or interpreted by our SFC Genetics providers. The health care provider who ordered this testing, counseled, and consented for these tests are responsible for interpreting them for you.

Direct-to-Consumer Companies Offering Genome-Wide Assays and Interpretation

It is our division’s policy that DTC genetic testing results will not be reviewed or interpreted by our SFC Genetics providers.

MTHFR Polymorphism Testing

• MTHFR polymorphism testing is NOT a service provided by our SFC Genetics providers.
• MTHFR testing is usually conducted to see if there are genetic factors that would increase the risk for blood clots.
• MTHFR polymorphisms are fairly common in the Hispanic and Caucasian populations.
• Recent research shows that there is no strong association with an increased risk for blood clotting and MTHFR polymorphisms. Thus, there are no clinical recommendations associated with having positive MTHFR testing.
• ACMG (American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics) does not recommend MTHFR testing because there is no clinical management associated to testing positive.  From a genetics standpoint we have no clinical recommendations, therefore testing will not be ordered.

• ACMG guidelines related to MTHFR testing: https://www.acmg.net/StaticContent/PPG/MTHFT_pre-print.pdf

• MTHFR polymorphisms and association with autism spectrum disorders:

• • A study in 2013 concluded MTHFR may have an association with autism spectrum disorder in countries without food fortification of folic acid.
  • Another study in 2012 found that folate is not associated with autism.
  • Hence, there is insufficient evidence that MTHFR variants cause an increased risk for autism.
  • Genetic testing on the MTHFR gene will not change or impact clinical management.

• It is our Division’s policy that MTHFR polymorphism testing will not be reviewed or interpreted by our SFC Genetics providers.  The health care provider who ordered this testing, counseled, and obtained your consent for these tests are responsible for interpreting them for you.
• MTHFR polymorphism testing will not be ordered by our SFC Genetics providers.

Pharmacogenetics Testing

• It is our Division’s policy that pharmacogenetics testing results will not be reviewed or interpreted by our SFC Genetics providers. The health care provider who ordered this testing, counseled, and obtained your consent for these tests are responsible for interpreting them for you.
• Pharmacogenetics testing will not be ordered by our SFC Genetics providers.

Request to Change Genetics Provider within Our Division

Please call our office for details, this is on a case by case basis and requires approval by both SFC Genetics physicians.