On behalf of the National Business Group on Health and its 288 large employers who provide health care coverage for more than 55 million U.S. workers, retirees and their families, I appreciate the opportunity to provide comments on the draft Technology Assessment Report: Update on Genetic Tests for Non-Cancer Diseases/Conditions: A Horizon Scan.

Genetic testing is a rapidly emerging field with the potential to dramatically change medical care. Large employers as health care purchasers are being asked to provide coverage for a growing number of genetic tests. Employers want to support appropriate access to genetic services, but inadequate information for clinical decision- making have raised serious concerns about patient safety and wasteful spending.

We commend your efforts to catalog available tests in an electronic database. It is a valuable effort given the rapid pace of change and continual introduction of new genetic tests to the clinical setting. To increase the usefulness of the database for clinical decision-making, we ask that you consider reporting available information on clinical utility of the tests, as well as any professional guidelines for appropriate use.

Again, we appreciate the opportunity to provide comments on this report.

We appreciate your input. Relevant information about the details of clinical utility and other guideline recommendations are usually covered in focused reviews of selected tests.