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CHR Blog: What IVF can contribute to the current national debate about socializing U.S. medicine
The increasingly popular fertility treatment In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) well demonstrates the potential impacts of socialized medicine.
In vitro fertilization (IVF) recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of the first IVF birth and has resulted in the birth of over 3 million children world wide. Comparing IVF in the U. S. versus Europe reveals, however, a great deal about what we all can expect once the current U.S. health care system switches to a “European” model, as recently proposed by President Obama.
HERE’S WHY:
While IVF was invented in Europe (the Brown baby was conceived and born in the UK) and European programs initially outshined U.S. programs, IVF success rates in the U.S. very quickly started outperforming those in Europe. For many years now, U.S. pregnancy rates after IVF have been dramatically higher than those in Europe, while IVF utilization, as a consequence, has been much higher in Europe.
Why?
Basic treatments are the same on both sides of the Atlantic. In the U.S., however, because of competitiveness in the market place, much more attention is placed on maximizing pregnancy rates. Nothing is as important to infertility patients as quick (and, of course, safe) conception. Procedures in the U.S. are, therefore, much more tailored to the individual patient’s needs, whereas in Europe one-size-fits-all IVF treatments are more prevalent, often mandated by stringent regulations from “the payer,” – the government.
U.S. patients are more engaged
Because often deemed “elective” procedures IVF in the U.S. is often not covered by insurance. As a result, patients are more involved, compare treatment programs and make very personal decisions as to where to pursue treatment. This, of course, has a perpetuating effect on quality of medical care and innovation.
In Europe the situation is the opposite.
Because IVF is mostly subsidized by the state, politics interfere with how IVF is practices and government oversight in form of regulations and politically-correct restrictions, litter the scene in many European countries, mandating to physicians even such detail as to how many embryos to transfer.
The results?
Excessive regulations often make it impossible to individualize patient treatments. As a result, IVF pregnancy rates in Europe are significantly below those in the U.S. (See also Dr. Gleicher’s interview in Focus on Reproduction, the official organ of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), the European equivalent of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) at pdf/ivf_in_europe_usa.pdf and 2 publications by CHR investigators: Gleicher et al., Hum Reprod 2006;21:1945-50 and Gleicher et al., Fertil Steril 2007;87:1301-5)
Media contact: 212-994-4400 x.4491 CHR's Media Blog is a compilation of potential story ideas gathered from infertility-related news, our research, and our opinion to facilitate open communication with the public on this increasingly relevant field of medicine.
Editors, reporters and producers are invited to contact CHR for background or clarification on any content posted here. Also, our team of fertility experts has considerable experience providing comments for publication on infertility-related subjects and participating on broadcast panels to share our expertise.
