Inquiry
Are the latest down syndrome screening fees at your hospital reduced? I had a down syndrome screening in early June, and I heard later that the fee standards were lowered. Is this true? If so, can the hospital refund the difference in price?
Answer
The Down syndrome comprehensive screening, also known as the congenital Stupid screening, is conducted to prevent and reduce the birth rate of children with Down syndrome. During the 15th to 20th week of pregnancy, maternal women are tested for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) to improve population quality and reduce birth defect rates. According to the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau’s testing and charging standards, the cost for AFP testing is 50 yuan, for hCG testing is 50 yuan, for PAPP-A testing is 90 yuan, plus an additional 3 yuan for blood collection needles and vacuum tubes. Do not eat for 12 hours before the test and wear clothes that are easy to roll up your sleeves for blood collection. After the blood draw, apply pressure to the site for 2 minutes and do not rub it.