CeGaT Expands Genetic Testing Services to U.S. and Canada, Partnering with Major Insurers

Just recently, CeGaT has been awarded the national contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. Since March 8, 2024, the agreement covers all commercial policies, and was extended to Medicare Advantage and Managed Care Organizations (MCO) lines on April 1, 2024. As Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois serves as their home plan, CeGaT’s services are now in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield providers nationwide.

"Our commitment is to provide accessible, high-quality genetic diagnostics worldwide," said Dr. Dirk Biskup, managing director and co-founder of CeGaT. "This expansion and partnership with leading insurers like Blue Cross Blue Shield represent a significant step forward in our mission to deliver advanced healthcare solutions to patients across North America."

CeGaT’s services are recognized globally for their accuracy and reliability. This is made possible by state-of-the-art technologies, one of the largest NGS labs in the world, and a dedicated 500-person team. Thanks to the support of many commercial insurers, patients in the USA and Canada can now also benefit from these services as they are covered by their health insurance.

CeGaT is privately held and has been servicing medical doctors, researchers, and pharma companies for 15 years. Being independent from financial investors allows a long-term growth strategy by concentrating on reliability, transparency and highest quality possible.

Based in Chicago, Illinois, providing access to the highest quality genetic diagnostics

CeGaT’s US office is centrally located in Chicago, Illinois, and is well-positioned to provide genetic diagnostic services to the US and Canadian markets. The extensive portfolio is constantly evolving to provide the best approach for each patient.  Since the search for the cause of a genetic disease is often like looking for a needle in a haystack, CeGaT has developed ExomeXtra ®, arguably the most comprehensive genetic test on the market, which combines the advantages of whole genome sequencing, whole exome, and array CGH. For specific clinical pictures, such as neurodegenerative diseases, CeGaT offers continuously updated panels with which all relevant genes can be examined in the shortest possible time. In the field of tumor diseases, various examinations are available that contribute to a better understanding of the disease and to therapy planning.

CeGaT: a 15-year success story

Founded by Dr. Dr. Saskia Biskup and Dr. Dirk Biskup, CeGaT revolutionized genetic testing by combining next-generation sequencing with human genetic diagnostics for the first time. This innovative approach was recognized in 2011 with the "Deutscher Gründerpreis" (German Founder Award) and in 2014 with a European Innovation Award. "Our vision (and we are still a long way from achieving it) is to make genetic diagnostics and high-throughput sequencing at the highest level available and affordable for everyone," says Dr. Dr. Saskia Biskup, managing director and co-founder of CeGaT. “This includes preventive diagnostics as well as patient diagnosis or the examination of specific samples for researchers." In addition to genetic diagnostics, CeGaT works for researchers, biotech companies, and "big pharma" by offering high-quality sequencing and an all-around service. Furthermore, CeGaT is committed to accelerating the research and diagnostic process for rare genetic diseases itself: With over 85,000 submitted clinical evaluations of variants, CeGaT is among the world’s top 5 contributors to the ClinVar public database, significantly expanding the collective knowledge of genetic variants and improving the genetic diagnosis of rare diseases.  By continuously expanding its range of services and investing in ever-newer and modern technologies, CeGaT is positioning itself as a long-term partner at the forefront of biomedical diagnostics and research.