Fertility Clinics Seek To Improve Access By Lowering Costs, Increasing Providers

Main Category: Fertility
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 26 Jul 2010 - 1:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Some fertility clinics are offering in vitro fertilization at lower costs to make the treatments more accessible to patients who could not otherwise afford them, Newsweek reports. A study by the European Society of Human Reproductive and Embryology found that the average cost of infertility treatment in the U.S. is about $13,775, compared with $4,012 in Japan and $3,109 in Belgium.

Newsweek reports that IVF in the U.S. can cost from $10,000 to $20,000 per cycle, putting the treatments out of reach for many people who wish to conceive. Moreover, infertility facilities in the U.S. address only 25% of the country's estimated demand, with underutilization particularly high among minorities and low-income patients.

A few fertility clinics have started opening more facilities and lowering their costs, arguing that a greater supply of providers and services will bring overall costs down in the U.S. There are only 40 openings each year in reproductive endocrinology fellowships approved by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Elan Simckes, who operates the St. Louis-based Fertility Partnership, said, "Just as there has been a price adjustment in other medical fields, it needs to happen in the fertility field," adding, "The competition in fertility cannot develop if an organization can limit the number of people providing the service."

According to Newsweek, there is disagreement over whether a shortage of providers is the problem. David Adamson, past president of the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology commented, "There is not a long wait to see reproductive endocrinologists. At this time the supply is greater than the demand."

The debate centers on whether infertility should be considered a disease or a "socially constructed need," Newsweek reports. Unlike most other countries, U.S. health plans often do not consider wanting a child a medical necessity and, therefore, do not cover infertility treatments. Sherman Silber, a reproductive specialist at St Louis' St. Luke's Hospital, said that as many as 80% of infertility cases are caused by a woman's age, adding, "It's hard to call infertility a disease. It's normal aging." Silber noted that only about 20% of women seeking infertility treatments have what is known as a "valid diagnosis," such as an inability to ovulate (Skoch, Newsweek, 7/21).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families.

© 2010 National Partnership for Women & Families. All rights reserved.

• Additional
• References
• Citations