Findings from University of Maryland Yields New Findings on Female Infertility (In Vitro Fertilization: a Cross-sectional Analysis of 58 Us Insurance Companies): Reproductive Medicine – Female Infertility

2023 FEB 02 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Researchers detail new data in Reproductive Medicine - Female Infertility. According to news reporting originating from Baltimore, Maryland, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Infertility affects one in eight women in the USA. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an effective but costly treatment that lacks uniform insurance coverage.”

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from the University of Maryland, “We evaluated the current insurance coverage landscape for IVF in America. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 58 insurance companies with the greatest state enrollment and market share, calculated to represent the majority of Americans with health insurance. Individual companies were evaluated for a publicly available policy on IVF services by web-based search, telephone interview, or email to the insurer. Coverage status, required criteria, qualifying risk factors, and contraindications to coverage were extracted from available policies. Fifty-one (88%) of the fifty-eight companies had a policy for IVF services. Thirty-five (69%) of these policies extended coverage. by-case coverage was stated in seven policies (14%), while coverage was denied in the remaining nine (18%). The most common criterion to receive coverage was a documented diagnosis of infertility (n = 23, 66%), followed by care from a reproductive endocrinologist (n = 9, 26%). Twenty-three (45%) of the companies with a policy had at least one contraindication to coverage. Three companies (6%) limited the number of IVF cycles to be covered, capping payments after 3-4 lifetime cycles. Most Americans with health insurance are provided a public policy regarding IVF. However, there is great variation in coverage and requirements to receive coverage between insurers.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Coupled with inconsistencies in state-level mandates and available choices for employer-sponsored plans, this may limit coverage of IVF services and, therefore, access to infertility treatment.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: In Vitro Fertilization: a Cross-sectional Analysis of 58 Us Insurance Companies. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, 2022. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics can be contacted at: Springer|plenum Publishers, 233 Spring St, New York, NY 10013, USA. (Springer - www.springer.com; Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics - http://www.springerlink.com/content/1058-0468/)

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Emily R. R. Finkelstein, University of Maryland, Division of Plastic Surgery, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States. Additional authors for this research include Michael Ha, Abigail Drees, Madalyn Myers, Sheri Slezak, Yvonne M. M. Rasko, Mary Dandulakis, Stephanie A. A. Beall, Maxine Reindorf and Dana M. M. Roque.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-022-02697-5. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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