REUTERS / Elijah Nouvelage
Apple will offer free genetic screening for diseases to its Silicon Valley employees, according to CNBC.
The free genetic tests, which will reportedly be carried out through a partnership with Color Genomics, are one of many health perks Apple is rolling out for its workers.
Apple now runs its own health clinics known as "AC Wellness" that allow workers to get medical treatment close to their offices.
Apple's Silicon Valley workers can now receive on-site genetics tests for free, CNBC's Christina Farr first reported.
The tests will reportedly be carried out at Apple's health clinics through a partnership with Color Genomics. Apple's clinics, called "AC Wellness," provide on-site healthcare to employees and their dependents — just one of many high-end perks Apple offers in order to recruit and retain top talent.
The genetics tests are meant to screen for inherited diseases or risks of health complications passed on genetically. According to Color, genetics tests can give people insight into preventative steps they can take to reduce future illnesses.
Genetic testing can be expensive — a standard test from Color costs nearly $300, according to its website. The test scans for gene mutations that can predict an increased risk of cancer or heart disease, and also provides information on a person's ancestry.
Apple won't have access to workers' genetic test results, even though they're subsidized and carried out by Apple's AC Wellness clinics, according to CNBC. In order to comply with health privacy laws, AC Wellness clinics' administrative functions are incorporated through a separate subsidiary of Apple, and its clinicians are not employed by Apple.
Neither Apple nor Color immediately responded to Business Insider's request for comment.
Apple isn't alone in offering high-end healthcare perks to its employees. Amazon has also begun piloting a virtual care platform called Amazon Care, which is exclusive to Amazon workers.
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