Facts & Stats About Infertility

Below are some facts and stats about infertility and why infertility should be covered in the state of Minnesota We hope that you find these facts useful to gain an understanding of infertility.

Facts and Stats;
• Infertility is a medically recognized disease that affects men and women equally. It is defined as the inablity to conceive or retain a pregnancy during a one-year period (6 months for a woman 35 years of age and older).

• According to the CDC, there were 7.3 million people diagnosed as infertile in 2002. That number represents one in eight couples of childbearing age. This number shows a 20% increase since the last count of 6.1 million in 1995.

• Infertility strikes men and women equally: 35% men, 35% women 20% both and 10% unexplained.

• The fastest growing group of people afflicted by infertility are women under the age of 25.

• Infertility, when treated correctly, has one of the highest rates of success of any disease -more than 80% of couples who complete treatment will succeed in having a biological child.

• A recent survey (Mercer- 2006) found that 20 percent of employers nationwide cover in vitro fertilization and approximately 37 percent cover drug therapy for infertility treatment.

The arguments for insurance coverage;
• Often patients select treatment based on what is covered by their insurance plan rather than what is most appropriate. A woman who can't conceive because of blocked fallopian tubes may undergo tubal surgery (a covered treatment that costs $8,000- $13,000 per surgery). She may be forced to forgo in-vitro fertilization (IVF) because it is not covered, although it costs about the same as tubal surgery and statistically is more likely to result in a successful pregnancy.

• According to William M. Mercer, "The decline in use of high-cost procedures like tubal surgery would likely offset the cost to include IVF as a benefit and provide improved health outcomes." According to The Hidden Costs of Infertility Treatment in Employee Health Benefits Plans (Blackwell, Richard E. and the William Mercer Actuarial Team, 2000), insurance premiums that now indirectly provide coverage for "hidden" infertility benefits (i.e. surgeries to remove scarring in a woman's fallopian tubes or varicose vein removal for men) were calculated to be adequate to cover more effective and often less expensive treatments such as ovulation induction, intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization.

• In states with mandated infertility insurance, the rate of multiple births is lower than in states without coverage. (New England Journal of Medicine, "Insurance Coverage and Outcomes of In Vitro Fertilization," August 2002). Couples with insurance coverage are free to make more appropriate decisions with their physicians based on medical necessity rather than financial considerations which often result in multiple births and a high rate of complications during and post-pregnancy.

• Lower multiple birth rates translate to cost savings for insurance companies.

• Infertility exacts an enormous toll on affected individuals and on society. Couples in their most active years are distracted by the financial, physical, social and emotional hardships of this disease. Infertility impacts a person's general health, marriage, job performance and social interactions—it brings a deep sense of loss, sadness and often depression.

• The depression and emotional distress associated with infertility and its challenges have been clinically demonstrated to be equal to the psychological suffering of cancer patients.

• According to a 2003 Harris Interactive Poll, 80% of the general population believes infertility treatment should be covered by insurance. (Harris Interactive Inc., Survey, 2003).• In vitro fertilization accounts for less than 3% of infertility services. According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), 85%-90% of infertility cases can be treated with conventional medications. (ASRM website, Quick Facts About Infertility