Impact of Mandated Insurance Coverage of Assisted Reproductive Technology on Clinic Website Transparency

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Health Services Research
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• Insurance coverage mandates for assisted reproductive technology (ART) vary significantly by state.
• Financial transparency in fertility clinics is crucial for patient decision-making.
• Previous research has not comprehensively assessed the impact of state mandates on clinic website information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare website transparency of costs, insurance, and financing between fertility clinics in states with and without mandated ART coverage.
• To identify disparities in financial information accessibility for patients seeking fertility treatments.

Main Methods:

• Identified 646 clinics via the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) online locator.
• Excluded clinics based on website accessibility and operational status.
• Gathered state mandate data from resolve.org.
• Analyzed website content for transparency of costs, insurance, and financing using Chi-squared testing and logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Clinics in states with mandated ART coverage were significantly more likely to list specific costs (OR 2.13) and accepted insurance plans (OR 2.44).
• A higher percentage of clinics in mandated states mentioned discount programs, but overall financial assistance mentions did not differ significantly.
• Patients in non-mandated states are less likely to find financial transparency at nearby fertility clinics.

Conclusions:

• State mandates for assisted reproductive technology (ART) coverage are associated with increased financial transparency on fertility clinic websites.
• Patients in states without coverage mandates face greater challenges in accessing clear cost and insurance information.
• Policy interventions promoting financial transparency could benefit patients nationwide, particularly those in states lacking mandated coverage.