PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Fewer multiple births in states with insurance coverage for infertility

2011-04-06
(Press-News.org) Faced with the prospect of costly in vitro fertilization (IVF) but with no help from insurance coverage, some infertile couples feel pressure to transfer multiple embryos in an attempt to ensure that the IVF is a success. This can lead to higher rates of twin and triplet births and prematurity. But having insurance coverage could curtail the costs associated with these multiple births, according to a new study by researchers at Yale School of Medicine.

Published in the current issue of Fertility and Sterility, the study found that the 15 states, including Connecticut, that provide insurance coverage for infertility saw significantly lower multiple birth rates. The authors say this translates into tremendous savings on the costs of maternal/fetal complications. In 2005, it was estimated that the economic impact of preterm birth was $26.2 billion nationally.

IVF is an effective treatment for the reported 7 million women who are infertile, but it is unaffordable for many infertile couples. Since 1998, more states are providing IVF coverage. Connecticut, for instance, covers up to two IVF cycles under state mandate.

In this study, Yale researchers analyzed assisted reproductive technology cycle data from 2006 provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. They categorized that year's 91,753 fresh, non-donor cycles by age group and by whether the cycles were performed in states with or without a mandate for IVF coverage. States with mandates for insurance coverage of infertility treatment not including IVF were characterized as non-mandated states.

The study showed that pregnancy rates, live birth rates, twin and triplets are higher in states without mandated insurance for IVF because they transfer significantly more embryos than states with coverage for IVF. In contrast, insurance coverage for IVF is associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of multiple pregnancy, particularly among younger women under the age of 35.

When IVF is not covered by insurance, physicians often feel pressure from patients who have financial incentive to maximize the per-cycle success by requesting the transfer of more embryos and willing to take the risk of multiple pregnancies, according to senior author Pasquale Patrizio, M.D., professor and director of the Yale Fertility Center in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine.

"Increasing the number of states that provide coverage for IVF would lead to improved maternal-fetal health and lessen the economic impact that multiple births have on the health system and it would also reduce physician pressure to transfer more embryos," said Patrizio. "It does not make economic sense to see insurance not covering IVF but then pay for the costs associated with maternal and neonatal morbidity."

"By reducing the patient's financial burden, state mandates may lead to a reduction in embryos transferred," said first author J. Ryan Martin, M.D., assistant professor at Yale, who sees patients at Yale Fertility Center's new facility in Westport, Conn. "Patients and insurance companies will both benefit from a reduction in multiple pregnancies."

INFORMATION:

Other authors on the study included Jason Bromer, M.D, and Denny Sakkas.

Citation: Fertility & Sterility Vol. 95, No. 3

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Centage Corporation Makes Enterprise-Class Financial Reporting Analytics Available to Small to Mid-Size Organizations

2011-04-06
Centage Corporation, a leading provider of integrated budgeting software, forecasting, consolidation and financial reporting solutions for small to mid-sized companies (SMB) today announced a new product in the Maestro line of financial reporting software: Analytics Maestro. Analytics Maestro extends the current Planning Maestro and Budget Maestro budgeting software reporting capabilities by bringing the power and flexibility of enterprise-class OLAP (online analytical processing) multi-dimensional reporting to the smaller organization. Centage's Maestro line of financial ...

Researchers identify the metabolic signaling pathway responsible for dyslipidemia

2011-04-06
(Boston) - Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), including Yu Li, PhD, and other colleagues, have demonstrated that a nutrient sensing pathway is involved in the disruption of cellular lipid homeostasis in obese and insulin resistant mice fed a diet high in fat and sucrose. This nutrient sensing pathway, which is described in the current on-line issue of Cell Metabolism, may also have implications for the health benefits of polyphenols containing foods against fatty liver, hyperlipidemia, and atherosclerosis associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Although ...

Caution for estrogen therapy after hysterectomy

2011-04-06
An editorial in the April 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association cautions against estrogen-only hormone therapy in women who have had a hysterectomy because of longstanding evidence that it raises the risk of breast cancer. The editorial is a response to a study in the same issue of the journal that found that estrogen-only therapy, currently used in women with menopausal symptoms who have had a hysterectomy, may decrease breast cancer risk if it is used for fewer than five years. The study found this benefit persisted even after the hormone therapy ...

The Cook's Book of Intense Flavors by Robert and Molly Krauce Released to Rave Reviews

2011-04-06
The Cook's Book of Intense Flavors, by Robert and Molly Krauce, has received FIVE STAR reviews from Amazon. A stimulus for the adventurous cook, this cookbook takes your taste buds where they've never been before. "Even the not so adventurous will probably be invigorated by the cook's uncommon spirit of bold culinary fun," states R. G. Webb on Amazon. The Cook's Book of Intense Flavors contains 101 extraordinary combinations and accompanying recipes that show you how to get the most flavor out of any ingredient, whether you are looking for an innovative twist or a classic ...

Cost effective manure management

2011-04-06
MADISON, WI MARCH 31, 2011 – Recycling manure is an important practice, especially for large livestock producers. Manure can be used as fertilizer to aid in crop production, aiding livestock producers that grow their own feed crops. While manure does provide a rich nutrient source for crops, it also can contribute to nutrient leaching and runoff. This can contaminate the surrounding ecosystem and lead to eutrophication of waterways. The desire for farmers to be able to recycle manure in an environmentally safe manner while providing a sufficient supply of nutrients to their ...

Researchers use zebrafish to identify new gene linked to melanoma

2011-04-06
NEW YORK (April 5, 2011) -- Thanks to the zebrafish, there is new hope for people with melanoma, an aggressive skin cancer that is responsible for approximately 8,700 deaths each year in the United States. In a study that was published in the March 24th issue of the journal Nature, and featured on the cover, researchers identified SETDB1 as a new gene that promotes the growth of melanoma and may play a role in up to 70 percent of malignant melanomas. "We hope our discovery will ultimately lead to better therapeutic strategies for patients with melanoma," says study ...

OHL Leases 148,725 Square Foot Industrial Building from Watson Land Company

2011-04-06
Watson Land Company, one of Southern California's largest industrial real estate developers, has leased a 148,725 square foot industrial property to OHL. Watson Land Company successfully completed more than 800,000 square feet in leases during the fourth quarter of 2010 as inbound container volume continued to increase, according to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The Port of Long Beach reported a 10.4 percent year-over-year increase in inbound loaded containers, while the Port of Los Angeles witnessed an increase of 5.6 percent during 2010. This trend ...

How materialistic advertising messages negatively shape the female body image

2011-04-06
Sussex, UK—April 5, 2011— Psychological research has consistently shown that women feel unhappy with their body after looking at images of thin, idealized models, which are typically represented in the media. However, today's consumer culture and media promote not only the ideal of perfect beauty, but also that of the material affluent lifestyle, both of which are commonly depicted together, and highlight the benefits of beauty and of owning material goods to one's personal success and fame. A new study from the British Journal of Social Psychology is the first to examine ...

Device drops blood pressure in patients with difficult-to-treat hypertension

2011-04-06
A device designed to treat people with resistant hypertension helped lower blood pressure by 33 points, a substantial drop that would otherwise require patients to take an additional three or four drugs, on top of this subgroup's usual regimen of up to five drugs, to control their difficult-to-treat condition. The device, called the Rheos® System, was tested in a pivotal Phase III study presented today as a late-breaking clinical trial at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Sessions. It is the first device to be tested in a large-scale clinical trial ...

Timothy's World Coffee Opens First U.S. Location at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport

Timothys World Coffee Opens First U.S. Location at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
2011-04-06
Timothy's World Coffee today announced expansion efforts into the U.S., with the opening of a cafe at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The decision comes at a time of significant growth for Vermont-based Bruegger's Enterprises Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary Threecaf Brands, which operates Timothy's cafes. "Bruegger's existing operating infrastructure allows us to bring this famous Canadian brand to the U.S.," said Jim Greco, CEO of Bruegger's Enterprises, Inc. "We are confident that the American consumer will appreciate the quality and variety of coffee ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Unlocking the mysteries of the human gut

High-quality nanodiamonds for bioimaging and quantum sensing applications

New clinical practice guideline on the process for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of cognitive impairment or dementia

Evolution of fast-growing fish-eating herring in the Baltic Sea

Cryptographic protocol enables secure data sharing in the floating wind energy sector

Can drinking coffee or tea help prevent head and neck cancer?

Development of a global innovative drug in eye drop form for treating dry age-related macular degeneration

Scientists unlock secrets behind flowering of the king of fruits

Texas A&M researchers illuminate the mysteries of icy ocean worlds

Prosthetic material could help reduce infections from intravenous catheters

Can the heart heal itself? New study says it can

Microscopic discovery in cancer cells could have a big impact

Rice researchers take ‘significant leap forward’ with quantum simulation of molecular electron transfer

Breakthrough new material brings affordable, sustainable future within grasp

How everyday activities inside your home can generate energy

Inequality weakens local governance and public satisfaction, study finds

Uncovering key molecular factors behind malaria’s deadliest strain

UC Davis researchers help decode the cause of aggressive breast cancer in women of color

Researchers discovered replication hubs for human norovirus

SNU researchers develop the world’s most sensitive flexible strain sensor

Tiny, wireless antennas use light to monitor cellular communication

Neutrality has played a pivotal, but under-examined, role in international relations, new research shows

Study reveals right whales live 130 years — or more

Researchers reveal how human eyelashes promote water drainage

Pollinators most vulnerable to rising global temperatures are flies, study shows

DFG to fund eight new research units

Modern AI systems have achieved Turing's vision, but not exactly how he hoped

Quantum walk computing unlocks new potential in quantum science and technology

Construction materials and household items are a part of a long-term carbon sink called the “technosphere”

First demonstration of quantum teleportation over busy Internet cables

[Press-News.org] Fewer multiple births in states with insurance coverage for infertility