Clarity Genetics provides specialist clinical genetics consultations for Australian Defence Force members. If you are an ADF member who has been referred for a genetics appointment, this is a standard specialist consultation conducted by a clinical geneticist. In many instances it will be led by a genetic counsellor. Appointments are available in person in Sydney or by telehealth across Australia.
Genetic questions can come up for anyone. An ADF member might discuss a family history of a condition, such as a family history of cancer or an inherited condition, with their military medical officer, who can then refer them to a clinical genetics service in the same way a GP would. The appointment itself is a standard genetics consultation. This page explains what to expect and how to arrange the appointment
Clarity Genetics is a clinical genetics practice. The service available to ADF members is the same specialist genetics consultation available to any other individual. While knowledgeable of many processes specific to the military, the practice is not involved in official Defence medical assessments. We simply help you understand the questions related to your health or family history.
What this means in practice is straightforward. If your military medical officer has referred you for a genetics appointment, you will see a specialist clinical geneticist and genetic counsellor who will discuss your personal and family history and any genetic questions relevant to you. The referral simply comes from your military medical officer rather than a general practitioner.
Your appointment involves a discussion of your personal and family medical history with a specialist clinical geneticist. Depending on the reason for referral, this may include reviewing any previous test results and discussing whether genetic testing is likely to be helpful for you.
The clinician will explain everything clearly, answer your questions, and will write back to you and your referring military medical officer afterwards. Appointments are available in person in Sydney and by telehealth across Australia, so you can be seen wherever you are located.
Once your military medical officer has provided a referral, you can arrange your appointment with Clarity Genetics. ADF members can book using the dedicated ADF booking form. This form is provided because ADF members may not hold a Medicare card, and it is set up so that you can book without one.
If you have any questions about arranging your appointment, the practice team is happy to help. They can confirm what information to bring and answer any practical questions about your consultation.
For ADF members, the cost of the genetics consultation is covered by Defence, so you do not pay for the appointment itself. If genetic testing is recommended, funding for testing runs broadly in line with Australian Medicare guidelines. In general terms, where a test would be funded for a civilian under Medicare, it can also be funded for an ADF member, with the funding provided through BUPA ADF.
Where testing is to be funded, approval is sought from Defence first. This approval step can take a few weeks, and testing is ordered once approval is confirmed. It is worth knowing this in advance, as it means recommended testing is generally not arranged on the same day as your appointment. Some tests that a civilian would pay for privately, such as NIPT or expanded panel carrier screening (versus the 3-gene screen), are also paid for by the member. Your clinician and the practice team will clearly explain which costs, if any, apply to your situation before anything is arranged.
At Clarity Genetics we arrange the appointment time directly with the member. We receive your referral and notification from the BUPA-ADF team and work with them in returning your reports to your doctor.
