prenatal screening program

Information for Prenatal Care Providers
The California Prenatal Screening (PNS) Program is a comprehensive public health service that makes prenatal screening available to all pregnant individuals in the state who want it. Each year approximately 340,000 pregnant individuals choose prenatal screening through the PNS Program.
Prenatal Care providers must share information about the PNS Program with their pregnant patients. Pregnant individuals decide if they want to participate in the PNS Program. If they do participate, Medi-Cal or private health insurance must cover all program fees, with only a few exceptions (self-insured employers or out-of-state health plans). In addition to screening, for patients with positive screening results, the program fee includes high-quality follow-up services, such as genetic counseling, ultrasound, and diagnostic tests at state-approved Prenatal Diagnosis Centers (PDCs).
The PNS Program also provides patient and provider educational materials focused on the benefits and limitations of screening. A program e-newsletter with important updates is published on an as-needed basis. The PNS Program additionally maintains contracts and provides quality control monitoring for all state-approved PDCs.
Go to Topic:
- Provider Video
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Online Information Systems
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Program Materials
- Posters
- Forms
- Provider Handbook
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cfDNA Laboratory Instructions and FAQs
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Prenatal Diagnosis Center Standards
- Patient Materials
- Letters
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Program Resources
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Newsletters
Provider Video
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Title: California Prenatal Screening Program Provider Video Published: 8/8/2022 Duration: 7:01 |
Online Information Systems
Program Materials
Posters
Two-page posters to print and hang on your office wall
Forms
Back-up Order Forms
Translated Prenatal Screening Consent Language
We are providing these translations of the patient consent language on the California Prenatal Screening Program order forms as a courtesy. They should not take the place of your practice’s translation or interpretation services necessary to ensure appropriate consent. Please feel free to share the translated consent language with patients, but ask them to
sign the English language Consent and Order Confirmation or Back-up Patient Order Form.
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Patient Consent Language in Spanish (PDF)
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Patient Consent Language in English (PDF, 1.3MB)
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Patient Consent Language in Chinese (PDF, 24.4MB)
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Patient Consent Language in Korean (PDF)
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Patient Consent Language in Vietnamese (PDF)
- Patient Consent Language in Tagalog (PDF)
Decline Forms
- Patient Decline Form: cfDNA (English, PDF)
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Patient Decline Form: cfDNA (Spanish, PDF)
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Patient Decline Form: MSAFP (English, PDF)
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Patient Decline Form: MSAFP (Spanish, PDF)
Provider Handbook
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Provider Handbook (PDF)
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Provider Handbook Addendum for Sex Chromosome Aneuploidies
- Provider Handbook Appendices:
- Appendix A:
Chromosomal or Structural Anomalies Detected (PDF)
- Appendix B:
Prevention of Neural Tube Defects (PDF)
- Appendix C:
Ultrasound Dating and Down Syndrome Screening (PDF)
- Appendix D:
Mid-trimester Risk for Chromosome Abnormalities by Maternal Age at Term (PDF)
- Appendix E:
cfDNA Order Patient & Blood Draw Instructions (PDF)
- Appendix F:
MSAFP Order Patient & Blood Draw Instructions (PDF)
- Appendix G:
cfDNA Back-up Consent & Order Form (PDF)
- Appendix H:
MSAFP Back-up Consent & Order Form (PDF)
- Appendix I:
cfDNA Patient Decline Form (PDF)
- Appendix J:
MSAFP Patient Decline Form (PDF)
- Appendix K: Consent & cfDNA Order Confirmation Sample (PDF)
- Appendix L: Consent & MSAFP Order Confirmation Sample (PDF)
cfDNA Laboratory Instructions and FAQs
Natera
Quest
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cfDNA Laboratory Instructions: Quest Diagnostics (PDF)
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cfDNA Laboratory Additional Information: Quest Diagnostics (PDF)
Revvity
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cfDNA Laboratory Instructions: Revvity (PDF)
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cfDNA Laboratory Additional Information: Revvity (PDF)
Prenatal Diagnosis Center Standards
Prenatal Diagnosis Center (PDC) Standards and Definitions 2022 (PDF)
Patient Materials
All Education Resources for Patients
Genetic Support Foundation Videos
PNS Patient Booklet
Prenatal Screening Patient Booklet - English (PDF, 1.3MB)
- Armenian (PDF)
- Chinese, Simplified (PDF, 24.4MB)
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Farsi (PDF)
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Russian (PDF)
- Korean (PDF)
- Spanish (PDF)
- Tagalog (PDF)
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Vietnamese (PDF)
- Hmong (PDF)
- Punjabi (PDF)
Prenatal Screening Patient Booklet X and Y Insert - English (PDF, 2 pages)
Patient Booklet Summaries - These summaries should be used in addition to the patient booklets, not instead of them. It is important that each patient receive the patient booklet. The patient booklet includes a full description of the program and its components, what consent means, and mandated legal notices.
- English (PDF)
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Armenian (PDF)
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Chinese, Simplified (PDF)
- Farsi (PDF)
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Hmong (PDF)
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Korean (PDF)
- Punjabi (PDF)
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Russian (PDF)
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Spanish (PDF)
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Tagalog (PDF)
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Vietnamese (PDF)
Prenatal Screening Patient Glossary - English (PDF, 2 pages)
Prenatal Screening Patient Booklet (use “select language” button in top right of web page to view in additional languages)
Screen Positive Booklets
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Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) (PDF)
- Trisomy 18 (PDF)
- Trisomy 13 (PDF)
- Neural Tube Defects (PDF)
- Turner Syndrome (PDF)
- XYY (PDF)
- Trisomy X (PDF)
- Klinefelter Syndrome (PDF)
Other Materials
Prenatal Screening Patient Video (English, MP4, 3.29 min)
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Information Survey
- QR code for Patient Video in English (save and share with patients to use with a QR Code Reader)

- QR code for Patient Video in Spanish (save and share with patients to use with a QR Code Reader)

- QR code for Patient Video in Chinese (save and share with patients to use with a QR Code Reader)

To download, distribute, or share a PNS Program patient video file, please follow a link to the vimeo site and download each video separately.
Letters
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Outcome of Pregnancy Letter (PDF)
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Prenatal Insurer Letter (PDF)
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Prenatal Provider Letter (PDF)
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Genetic Counselor Letter (PDF)
Program Resources
- CalGenetic Portal
- CalGenetic Portal Resources
- Education Resources - For Patients
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Education Resources - For Providers
- Order Supplies Online
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Newborn Screening
- Patient FAQ
- Provider FAQ
- Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) information survey
- Sharing an Abnormal Prenatal Screening Result with a Patient
- Webinars
- Cell-free DNA Screening Predictive Value Calculator
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Prenatal Diagnosis Centers (PDC) by County
Newsletters
- Prenatal Information and Update Newsletter

