title: The economic impact of the assisted reproductive technologies.
abstract: Thousands of cycles of in vitro fertilization (IVF) are performed each year. In the US, multiple births occur after 39% of IVF cycles, whereas in Europe, the figure is 26%. Indeed, multiple births are a major factor in the costs attributable to IVF. Reducing the multiple birth rate may reduce the overall costs of IVF, and providing insurance coverage of IVF may contribute to lowering multiple birth rates. The use of IVF is likely to expand in response to increases in infertility and scientific advances.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0936, USA. pkatz@itsa.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nachtigall
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Showstack
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000191:economics* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000191:economics* / Q000639:trends*