It was bound to happen. Ancestry has jumped on the health services bandwagon.
The global leader in family history and consumer DNA tests yesterday launched AncestryHealth Core and AncestryHealth Plus in the United States, competing with the health services offered by MyHeritage DNA, 23andme, and others.
Ancestry considers AncestryHealth to be a natural extension of it has been doing for years, that is, helping people learn where they came from, what they inherited, and what is unique to them. For them, AncestryHealth combines historical information with DNA.
AncestryHealth services include:
- Physician-ordered tests that were developed and are performed by independent CLIA-certified laboratories
- Educational information, including access to genetic counseling resources
- Printable consumer and physician-ready reports that provide guidance for next steps an individual and their healthcare provider can take together
“Your genes don’t need to be your destiny. Understanding your familial and inherited health risks can help you take action with your doctor to improve your chances of better health outcomes,” said Margo Georgiadis, chief executive officer of Ancestry.
Exisiting AncestryDNA customers can upgrade to the AncestryHealth services for a lower price, but they will not be able to request an upgrade for people who have passed away.
As for why AncestryHealth is only being released in the US at this time, Ancestry says it must first work through the regulatory frameworks in other countries, and that is a challenging process.
Basic package
AncestryHealth Core is described as “a first step on the journey of understanding how family heritage and genetics can impact health and wellness.”
It covers a set of curated, common need-to-know health conditions and includes printable family health history and lab reports people can share with their healthcare provider. The physician-ordered laboratory test included in AncestryHealth Core uses genotyping array technology to detect genetic differences and deliver personalized reports related to health conditions such as heart disease, hereditary cancers, blood-related disorders, and risks for carrier status of health conditions, such as Tay-Sachs disease. There are also wellness reports on topics, such as nutrition and metabolism.
AncestryHealth Core is priced at $149 and includes AncestryDNA.
Existing AncestryDNA customers can upgrade to AncestryHealth Core for $49.
Comprehensive package
AncestryHealth Plus will use next generation sequencing (NGS) technology to deliver more comprehensive screening data, providing both greater coverage of DNA differences for each condition and more risk categories such as those related to potentially developing heart disease, cancers, and disorders related to blood, the nervous system and connective tissues.
For new customers, AncestryHealth Plus with NGS technology has a $199 activation fee, which includes the first six months of membership with an additional $49 membership fee every six months.
Existing AncestryDNA customers can upgrade to AncestryHealth Plus for an initial payment of $49.
The ongoing membership will include quarterly screening updates, more educational resources and enhanced tools for family health history and healthcare provider collaboration.
Ancestry has partnered with PWNHealth, an independent network of board-certified physicians and genetic counselors, to offer these health services, which are included in both AncestryHealth Core and AncestryHealth Plus.
“Genetics play an important role in your health, along with factors such as your family’s health history, lifestyle and diet,” said Catherine Ball, Ph.D., chief scientific officer at Ancestry. “Our job is to make sure our customers are educated, informed and supported throughout their health journey with us.”
AncestryHealth services are now available for American customers at www.ancestry.com/health.
Wired published yesterday a good overview of Ancestry’s new health services.
