How much does NIPT cost in Australia? Harmony, Percept and Generation compared.
NIPT is self-pay in Australia. There is no Medicare rebate for it, whoever orders it, and most providers charge several hundred dollars for the standard screen, with optional items adding to the bill. KnowLuna's price is published at launch, once our laboratory agreement is signed; waitlist members see the price first. Either pathway applies: bring your own doctor's signed request, or have a KnowLuna doctor request it and explain the result in a 20-minute video consult. Here is how the three main Australian tests compare.
What NIPT screens for, and from what week
The non-invasive prenatal test analyses small fragments of placental DNA that circulate in your blood during pregnancy. From those fragments a laboratory estimates the chance that the baby has one of the common chromosome conditions: trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome) and trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome). Most tests can also look at the sex chromosomes and, if you choose, report the baby's sex.
It is a screening test, and that word matters. NIPT tells you whether the chance of a condition is high or low, not whether the baby has it. A high-chance result is followed by the offer of a diagnostic test that your doctor arranges. A low-chance result is very reassuring but not a guarantee, and it does not replace the 12-week and 20-week ultrasounds.
You can have NIPT from 10 weeks of pregnancy; before that there may not be enough placental DNA in your blood. Most women have it between 10 and 14 weeks. Read more in our overview of NIPT in Australia: cost, timing and accuracy.
The three tests most Australian labs run: Harmony, Percept and Generation
When your doctor or a provider offers "NIPT", they are usually offering one of three branded tests run by large Australian laboratories. All three screen for the same core conditions and all three are highly accurate for trisomy 21. The differences are in who runs them, what is included by default, what costs extra and how long results take.
| Test | Who runs it | Conditions screened | Optional items | Turnaround | Typical price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harmony | Australian Clinical Labs, the exclusive Australian provider of the Harmony test | Trisomy 21, 18 and 13 | Sex chromosome conditions, fetal sex, 22q11.2 deletion | About 3 to 7 business days | Commonly several hundred dollars; prices vary |
| Percept | Victorian Clinical Genetics Services (VCGS), Melbourne | Trisomy 21, 18 and 13, plus a genome-wide look at other large chromosome changes | Sex chromosome conditions, fetal sex | About 3 to 7 business days | Commonly several hundred dollars; prices vary |
| Generation | Genomic Diagnostics, part of the Healius pathology network | Trisomy 21, 18 and 13 | Sex chromosome conditions, fetal sex, some extended options | About 3 to 7 business days | Commonly several hundred dollars; prices vary |
Ranges vary by laboratory; your report shows the range your lab uses. Typical ranges on this page are drawn from Pathology Tests Explained (RCPA) and the sources listed below.
Test menus, optional items and turnaround times change; check the laboratory's current information or ask your doctor before you order.
A word on the extras. Wider screening, such as microdeletions or a genome-wide report, finds rarer conditions but also produces more uncertain and false high-chance results, because the test is less accurate for rare conditions. RANZCOG advises discussing expanded options with your doctor rather than ticking every box.
Typical prices in Australia, and why there is no Medicare rebate
The honest answer to "how much does NIPT cost in Australia?" is that the standard screen commonly costs several hundred dollars and the price varies by laboratory, by clinic and by which optional items you add. Some clinics add a consultation or collection fee on top of the laboratory price, so always ask for the all-in figure.
NIPT is not rebated by Medicare. The Medicare Benefits Schedule does not list it, so there is no rebate whether it is ordered by your GP, your obstetrician or a service like KnowLuna, and private health insurance generally does not cover pathology performed outside hospital. The older combined first-trimester screen (a blood test for two placental proteins plus a nuchal translucency ultrasound) does attract a Medicare rebate for part of its cost, which is why it remains the publicly funded option in most of Australia.
Some public hospitals do offer NIPT at no charge in specific circumstances, for example after an increased-chance combined screening result. If that might apply to you, ask your care provider before paying privately.
KnowLuna's NIPT price: test-only and with the doctor consult
KnowLuna's indicative launch price for the non-invasive prenatal test is priced at launch, once our laboratory agreement is signed; waitlist members see the price first. Either pathway applies: bring your own doctor's signed request, or have a KnowLuna doctor request it and explain the result in a 20-minute video consult. That is Option 1, and it suits women whose GP or obstetrician has already discussed screening with them and simply needs somewhere convenient to have the blood collected.
Option 2 adds a KnowLuna doctor's request and a results consult; both prices are published at launch. A KnowLuna women's health doctor (AHPRA-registered) reviews a short questionnaire, requests the test and explains the result in a 20-minute video consult. Either way, blood is collected at an accredited (NATA/RCPA) centre near you, or by a nurse at home, and a plain-English report arrives in your account. A high-chance result is never left for you to read alone.
Is 12 weeks too early or 14 weeks too late?
Neither. Twelve weeks is a very common time to have NIPT, often the same week as the dating or nuchal scan, and it is well past the 10-week minimum. Fourteen weeks is not too late either. The proportion of placental DNA in your blood rises as pregnancy progresses, so a later sample is, if anything, less likely to need recollection. Women who missed the first-trimester window can still have NIPT in the second trimester.
The practical reason to have it earlier is time: if a result comes back high-chance, you want room to arrange counselling and a diagnostic test without feeling rushed. RANZCOG recommends an ultrasound before NIPT to confirm dates, viability and the number of babies. It is not mandatory in order to have the test, but it makes the result more reliable.
How accurate is the fetal sex result?
Very accurate, but not 100 percent. The fetal sex report is based on whether Y chromosome material is found in your blood. Laboratories quote accuracy well above 99 percent from 10 weeks, and the most common reasons for an incorrect or inconclusive sex result are a very early sample, a twin pregnancy, or a vanishing twin that contributed DNA. If the sex report matters for a medical reason (for example a family history of an X-linked condition), your doctor will confirm it by other means rather than relying on NIPT alone.
What happens after a high-chance result
Most NIPT results are low-chance. If yours is high-chance, remember that this is a screening result, not a diagnosis. Even for trisomy 21, where the test performs best, some high-chance results turn out to be false alarms, and that proportion is higher for the rarer conditions and for the optional extras. What comes next is a conversation, not a decision.
- A doctor contacts you to explain the result, what it means and what it does not mean.
- You are offered genetic counselling, which is available to anyone with a high-chance screening result.
- A diagnostic test (chorionic villus sampling from about 11 weeks, or amniocentesis from about 15 weeks) is offered to confirm or rule out the condition.
- Your ongoing pregnancy care continues with your GP, obstetrician or midwife, who receives a copy of the results if you wish.
Common questions
How much does NIPT cost in Australia?
Commonly several hundred dollars for the standard screen, and prices vary by laboratory, clinic and optional items. There is no Medicare rebate. KnowLuna's price is published at launch, once our laboratory agreement is signed; waitlist members see the price first. Either pathway applies: bring your own doctor's signed request, or have a KnowLuna doctor request it and explain the result in a 20-minute video consult.
Is NIPT free after 35?
No. Age does not change the Medicare position; NIPT is self-pay at any age. Some public hospitals offer it without charge in particular circumstances, most often after an increased-chance result on the combined first-trimester screen, so ask your antenatal care provider whether that applies to you before paying privately.
Is Harmony the same as NIPT?
Harmony is one brand of NIPT, run in Australia by Australian Clinical Labs. Percept (VCGS), Generation (Genomic Diagnostics, Healius) and the unbranded Sonic Genetics NIPT are the others you will commonly be offered. All of them screen for trisomy 21, 18 and 13 from a maternal blood sample; they differ in optional items, turnaround and price.
Why is NIPT not covered by Medicare?
Medicare funding depends on a cost-effectiveness assessment by the Medical Services Advisory Committee, and NIPT has not been listed for the general pregnant population. The combined first-trimester screen, which is older and less accurate but rebated in part, remains the publicly funded pathway in most of Australia.
How long do NIPT results take?
Usually within about a week of the laboratory receiving your sample, and often within 3 to 5 business days. Timing varies between laboratories and can be longer if a sample needs to be repeated because too little placental DNA was present, which happens in a small proportion of early samples. If a repeat also returns no result, your doctor reviews you and may offer an ultrasound or diagnostic testing rather than simply collecting again.
Can NIPT tell me the baby is definitely healthy?
No screening test can. A low-chance NIPT result means the common chromosome conditions are very unlikely, but it does not look at every condition and it does not check the baby's anatomy. The 12-week and 20-week ultrasounds remain part of routine care whatever your NIPT result.
Sources and further reading
- Pathology Tests Explained (RCPA): NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing)
- RANZCOG: Prenatal screening and diagnostic testing for fetal chromosomal and genetic conditions (C-Obs 59)
- Pregnancy, Birth and Baby: non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT)
- Pregnancy, Birth and Baby: screening for Down syndrome
- Better Health Channel: chorionic villus sampling
- Better Health Channel: amniocentesis
General information only, not medical advice. If your symptoms are severe or sudden, see a doctor promptly. This page does not replace a consultation with a doctor who knows your history; read our medical disclaimer.