UnitedHealthcare Chromosome Microarray Coverage Update

Coverage Summary

UnitedHealthcare Medical Policy: Chromosome Microarray Testing (Non-Oncology Conditions) (Policy Number: 2026T0559FF; Effective Date: January 1, 2026). This policy applies to UnitedHealthcare Commercial and Individual Exchange plans and takes a mixed coverage stance: CMA (aCGH and/or SNP array) is covered/medically necessary for specified indications but considered not medically necessary/unproven for other populations not listed. Main covered populations include: prenatal/fetal evaluations (including invasive prenatal diagnostic testing, stillbirth/POC evaluation), individuals with developmental disorders (DD/ID/ASD and multiple congenital anomalies), and evaluation/testing of biological relatives when needed to interpret an affected fetus/child’s CMA result.

Medical-Necessity Criteria

Medically Necessary Indications

Chromosome microarray testing using aCGH and/or SNP array is proven and medically necessary for the following:

ANY of the following

ALL of the following
- fetal evaluation scenarios
  - Intrauterine Fetal Demise or Stillbirth
  - Testing the products of conception following pregnancy loss
  - Individuals undergoing invasive prenatal testing (i.e., amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling, or fetal tissue sampling)
ALL of the following
- ANY of the following
  - Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
  - Isolated severe congenital heart disease
  - Multiple anomalies that are not specific to a Well-Delineated Genetic Syndrome and cannot be identified by a clinical evaluation alone
  - Developmental Delay/Intellectual Disability where a specific syndrome is not suspected
Evaluation of biological parent or sibling of a fetus or child with an abnormal or equivocal finding on chromosome microarray testing results

Not Medically Necessary / Unproven

Chromosome microarray testing using aCGH or SNP array is unproven and not medically necessary for:

All other populations and conditions not specifically listed as medically necessary due to insufficient evidence of efficacy

General clinical coverage considerations (narrative guidance)

CMA is recommended or considered appropriate in the following clinical contexts per professional guidelines and evidence:

Professional guideline–recommended indications

Evaluation of individuals with neurodevelopmental disability and congenital anomalies (ACMG 2018 recommends CMA as first-tier test).
Prenatal diagnostic testing for fetuses with one or more major structural abnormalities identified on ultrasound (ACOG/SMFM recommend CMA as primary test replacing karyotype).
Evaluation of stillbirth or intrauterine fetal death when further cytogenetic analysis is desired (ACOG/SMFM recommend CMA preferred over karyotype).
Use as confirmatory testing or reflex following abnormal noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) when indicated (ACMG guidance).

Clinical indications supported by guidelines and evidence

CMA is recommended as a first-tier test or indicated when ALL or ANY of the following clinical contexts are present according to cited professional guidelines and evidence:

ANY of the following

Individuals with developmental delay (DD), global developmental delay (GDD), or intellectual disability (ID).
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when etiology is unknown (CMA recommended as first-tier).
Individuals with multiple congenital anomalies (MCA) or congenital anomalies not specific to a well-delineated genetic syndrome.
Prenatal cases with major fetal structural abnormalities where invasive diagnostic testing is performed (CMA recommended).
Fetal loss / stillbirth when parents/providers pursue genetic diagnosis (CMA recommended as part of workup).

Situations where targeted testing precedes CMA

Per AACAP and guideline algorithms, perform targeted syndrome-specific testing first when ALL of the following apply:

ALL of the following

There is a recognized genetic syndrome suggested by history or phenotype (e.g., Fragile X, PTEN hamartoma syndrome, Rett syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, Prader-Willi, Angelman, Down syndrome).
Genetic counseling has been provided and targeted testing is indicated and performed; if negative, proceed to CMA and Fragile X testing.

Coding

Covered / Relevant Procedure Codes mentionedCPT|HCPCS|mixedCovered

0156U	Copy number (e.g., intellectual disability, dysmorphology), sequence analysis.
0209U	Cytogenomic constitutional (genome-wide) analysis, interrogation of genomic regions for copy number, structural changes and areas of homozygosity for chromosomal abnormalities
81228	Cytogenomic (genome-wide) analysis for constitutional chromosomal abnormalities; interrogation of genomic regions for copy number variants, comparative genomic hybridization [CGH] microarray analysis.
81229	Cytogenomic (genome-wide) analysis for constitutional chromosomal abnormalities; interrogation of genomic regions for copy number and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variants, comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) microarray analysis.
81349	Cytogenomic (genome-wide) analysis for constitutional chromosomal abnormalities; interrogation of genomic regions for copy number and loss-of-heterozygosity variants, low-pass sequencing analysis.
81479	Unlisted molecular pathology procedure
S3870	Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) microarray testing for developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder and/or intellectual disability

Relevant ICD-10 / Diagnosis Codes referencedICD-10

F70	Mild intellectual disabilities.
F71	Moderate intellectual disabilities.
F72	Severe intellectual disabilities.
F73	Profound intellectual disabilities.
F78.A1	SYNGAP1-related intellectual disability.
F78.A9	Other genetic related intellectual disability.
F79	Unspecified intellectual disabilities.
F80.0	Phonological disorder.
F80.1	Expressive language disorder.
F80.2	Mixed receptive-expressive language disorder.

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Applicable ICD-10 diagnosis codes (excerpt present in document)ICD-10

Q95.2	Balanced autosomal rearrangement in abnormal individual.
Q95.3	Balanced sex/autosomal rearrangement in abnormal individual.
Q99.89	Other specified chromosome abnormalities.
Q99.9	Chromosomal abnormality, unspecified.
R48.0	Dyslexia and alexia.
R62.0	Delayed milestone in childhood.
R62.50	Unspecified lack of expected normal physiological development in childhood.
R62.51	Failure to thrive (child).
R62.59	Other lack of expected normal physiological development in childhood.
R89.8	Other abnormal findings in specimens from other organs, systems and tissues.

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Provider Actions & Requirements

Documentation Required

Pre-test Genetic Counseling

Pre-test genetic counseling is strongly recommended to inform the person being tested (or their caregiver) about the advantages, limitations, possible results (including uncertain or incidental findings), and implications of chromosome microarray testing. Document that counseling occurred and include who provided the counseling (e.g., genetic counselor, other qualified clinician).

Documentation Required

Medical Records may be Requested

Medical records and supporting documentation may be requested to verify clinical indications and medical necessity prior to claim payment or as part of a prior authorization review. Examples of documentation that may be requested include clinical notes describing developmental concerns, congenital anomalies, prenatal findings, family history, prior genetic testing results, and informed consent.

Examples of requested records: clinical notes, prenatal imaging reports, prior genetic test results, family history documentation, informed consent forms

Documentation Required

Background & Definitions

Chromosome microarray analysis (CMA), including array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, detects genome-wide copy number variants (CNVs) — deletions and duplications — and can identify regions of homozygosity or loss of heterozygosity relevant to constitutional chromosomal abnormalities. CMA can be targeted or genome-wide and generally provides greater resolution than conventional karyotype for submicroscopic imbalances, though it cannot reliably detect balanced rearrangements. Genetic counseling is strongly recommended prior to testing to explain the benefits, limitations, potential for variants of uncertain significance, and implications such as non-paternity, consanguinity, and adult-onset findings.

Term	Definition
Developmental Delay
Developmental Delay may be used to describe children younger than 5 years of age who present with delays in the attainment of developmental milestones at the expected age.
Intellectual Disability
A condition diagnosed before age 18 that includes below-average intellectual function and a lack of skills necessary for daily living.
Intrauterine Fetal Demise or Stillbirth
Fetal death at or after 20 weeks' gestation.
Prenatal Diagnosis
A laboratory test performed on fetal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or chromosomes before birth to determine if a fetus has a genetic or chromosomal disorder.
Well-Delineated Genetic Syndrome
A syndrome is a collection of recognizable traits or abnormalities that tend to occur together and are associated with a specific disease; distinguishing characteristics, such as specific facial features, lab tests, or family history, can identify a genetic syndrome.
CMA
Chromosomal microarray analysis, includes array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and SNP array; detects copy number variations across the genome.
pCNV
Pathogenic copy number variation.
VUS
Variant of uncertain significance.
POC
Products of conception (tissue from pregnancy loss).
CMA
Chromosomal microarray analysis, including array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, used to detect copy-number variants (CNVs).
CNV
Copy-number variant—deletion or duplication of chromosomal segments that may be pathogenic, benign, or of uncertain significance (VUS).

The evidence context includes multiple professional guidelines and meta-analyses supporting CMA as a first-tier or preferred test in specified indications (for example, ACMG and ACOG/SMFM recommendations). These sources endorse CMA for neurodevelopmental disability and congenital anomalies and recommend its use in prenatal diagnosis for major fetal structural abnormalities and in stillbirth evaluation; professional guidance also emphasizes the need for pre- and post-test genetic counseling. Multiple systematic reviews and cohort studies report higher diagnostic yield for CMA versus karyotype in many of the listed clinical scenarios.

Evidence Highlights

Study / Source	Key finding
Li et al. 2025
CMA detection of pathogenic CNVs higher in FGR with structural malformations (19%) vs FGR with soft markers (1.5%) and isolated FGR (2.1%).
Nguyen et al. 2025
SNP-array detected >2x more genetic anomalies than karyotyping in IUGR with malformations (35% abnormal in subset with amniocentesis).
Lu et al. 2024
Diagnostic yield of CMA in fetal CHD 15.3% vs karyotype 8.3%; higher yield in CHD with extracardiac anomalies (33.1% vs 9.9%).
Peng et al. 2023
Meta-analysis of POC: diagnostic yields 49.9% for chromosomal abnormalities and 2.5% for pCNVs; genomic disorders/syndromic pCNVs incidence in POC ~1/150.
Wang et al. 2023 (meta-analysis)
Pooled proportion in CHD: 23% overall chromosome abnormalities; 19% aneuploidies; 2% 22q11 deletions; 4% other CNVs.
ACMG 2018
Recommends CMA as first-tier test for neurodevelopmental disability and congenital anomalies.
ACOG/SMFM 2016/2020
Recommend CMA for prenatal diagnosis with fetal structural abnormalities and for stillbirth evaluation; require counseling and informed consent.
Sheidley et al. 2022
Systematic review: CMA diagnostic yield in epilepsy 9% (lower than genome/exome sequencing).
Jang et al. 2019 (Clinical management impact)
CMA results influenced clinical management decisions in 71.4% of tested individuals with an average of 2.9 new recommendations per individual.
Fan et al. 2018 (Diagnostic yield associated features)
Higher diagnostic yields with co-existing CHD (55%), facial dysmorphism (39%), microcephaly (34%), hypotonia (35%).
McCormack et al. 2016 (Large cohort detection rate)
28% of 710 individuals had reported CNVs; in 5369 pre- and post-natal subjects 28% had deletion or duplication.

Revision History

01/01/2026Template Update; archived previous policy version 2025T0559EE and LABORATORY 016.29Latest

Template Update and creation of shared policy version to support application to Oxford plan membership; archived previous policy version 2025T0559EE and LABORATORY 016.29.

2026-01-01Effective Date (policy)Latest

Policy effective date published.