Pd52-09 Out of Pocket Costs of Male Infertility Care and Associated Financial Strain

Elliott, Peter; Abad-Santos, Matthew; Katz, Patricia; Smith, James

doi:10.1016/j.juro.2015.02.1783

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Sixty four percent of men reported spending greater than or equal to $15,000, while 16% of men reported spending greater than or equal to $50,000. On average, men reported spending 16–20% of their annual incomes on infertility-related expenses with 47% experiencing financial strain and 46% having treatment options limited by costs ( 15 ). It’s worth noting that these studies were performed in the San Francisco area, an area with greater than average annual incomes.…”

Section: Infertility Care Is Expensivementioning

confidence: 99%

Insurance coverage of male infertility: what should the standard be?

Dupree¹

2018

Transl. Androl. Urol.

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Infertility is a disease, and the male partner plays a role in approximately 50% of infertility cases. For most patients, infertility care does not receive insurance coverage like other diseases, leaving them to pay out of pocket for their treatments. Because of the lack of insurance coverage, evaluations and treatments are expensive for patients, with costs often approaching the median annual US income. These increased costs reduce access to care and limit the ability to diagnose the cause of infertility, treat the underlying causes, and downgrade the intensity of the intervention needed to achieve the pregnancy. This leaves much of the burden for infertility care on the female partner. In an ideal health care system, evaluations and interventions for male infertility would receive the same insurance coverage as evaluations and interventions for other diseases.

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Section: Infertility Care Is Expensivementioning

confidence: 99%

Insurance coverage of male infertility: what should the standard be?

Dupree¹

2018

Transl. Androl. Urol.

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“…In addition, 47% experienced financial strain due to infertility treatments and 46% had treatment options limited by cost. 7 With a 2013 median US household income of $51 939, 8 it is not surprising that these costs represented a substantial burden for male patients undergoing infertility treatments.…”

Section: Costs Of Infertility Carementioning

confidence: 99%

Insurance coverage for male infertility care in the United States

Dupree

2016

Asian J Androl

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Infertility is a common condition experienced by many men and women, and treatments are expensive. The World Health Organization and American Society of Reproductive Medicine define infertility as a disease, yet private companies infrequently offer insurance coverage for infertility treatments. This is despite the clear role that healthcare insurance plays in ensuring access to care and minimizing the financial burden of expensive services. In this review, we assess the current knowledge of how male infertility care is covered by insurance in the United States. We begin with an appraisal of the costs of male infertility care, then examine the state insurance laws relevant to male infertility, and close with a discussion of why insurance coverage for male infertility is important to both men and women. Importantly, we found that despite infertility being classified as a disease and males contributing to almost half of all infertility cases, coverage for male infertility is often excluded from health insurance laws. Excluding coverage for male infertility places an undue burden on their female partners. In addition, excluding care for male infertility risks missing opportunities to diagnose important health conditions and identify reversible or irreversible causes of male infertility. Policymakers should consider providing equal coverage for male and female infertility care in future health insurance laws.

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