Abstract
Acta Ohstet Gynecol Scand 1995; 74: 199–202. © Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 1995
Background. Many politicians and decision-makers in health care consider assisted reproduction an expensive and exclusive treatment despite the results of in vitro fertilizationiembryo transfer (IVF/ET) treatments having improved considerably during the last few years. With the improved results the costs in relation to successful outcome are decreasing.
Aim and Methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-benefit of IVF/ET treatments in a group of infertile couples. The benefit was measured as willingness to pay (WTP) for IVF/ET treatment and was related to the cost of IVF/ET. For the calculation of costs, data from one private and one public IVF clinic in Sweden during the period from January 1992 to March 1993 were used.
Results and conclusions. The cost analysis showed a direct cost for IVF/ET of $3,170 per started treatment and $9,410 per delivery. Including the indirect cost, the total cost was $3,880 per started IVFIET treatment and $11,490 per delivery. The survey of the WTP showed that the infertile couples gave high economic priority to infertility treatment. A majority of the couples were willing to pay more for a child than the calculated direct cost.
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