Free Contraceptive Insurance Coverage: A Good Idea?

The National Institute of Medicine finally suggested that women obtain contraceptive care with full insurance coverage and without large co-pays. From one perspective, it was about time. Nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended and families should be expanded when there is true intent and not because contraception was not available. Also, since men have medications for erectile dysfunction covered by insurance, it's seemed only fair.

That stated, there might be a downside. Since no co-pays will be obtained, will the insurance companies increase payment to make up the difference (doubtful) or will the physician’s office loose the income in an already existing atmosphere of dwindling reimbursements (more likely)?

Will the frequency of unwanted pregnancies and abortions really fall? Even though condoms have been made available at some clinics for free, having the contraception easily available didn’t mean it was used at all or used correctly. When one provides something for free, is as appreciated as when one has to pay an amount, no matter how small, to increase personal responsibility?

When care becomes free or nearly free, there is almost always an increase in utilization. Is contraception one area of medicine that we would welcome increased utilization? Most, except the religions that do not believe in contraception, will agree this is ultimately a step in the right direction. Even so, there is no free lunch. Will insurance companies increase the premiums to pay for the office visits and the contraceptive medications and pass the costs to everyone else? We suspect the answer is probably yes.

At first glance, requiring insurance companies to pay for female contraception seems like a great idea but there is the issue of unintended consequences. Please share your thoughts on our Facebook pagewhere we've started the discussion. We’d love to hear from you!

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Tune Into The Fertility Chase

Tune into WE Network! Several of my patients and I will be featured in a new televised series, “The Fertility Chase” to begin airing on May 1, 8:30 – 9 a.m. EST. The half hour program produced by Exodus Productions will run over the course of eight weeks.

Producers from Exodus Productions invited several of the top fertility specialists from around the country to participate in the series. My patients and I agreed to take part to help raise awareness about treatment options, including embryo donation, available for the more than nine million couples suffering from infertility in the United States each year.

Through a process called cryopreservation or embryo freezing, fertility patients can save their excess embryos for a chance to have more children. In some cases, couples may choose to donate their remaining embryos to a needy individual or couple to pursue a chance at parenthood. It is a wonderful and amazing gift! Learn more at http://dreamababy.com

You can also visit the Fertility Chase Facebook fan page.

Family Planning Awareness Month

During April, Family Planning Awareness Month gives those of us in the reproductive medicine a good reason to promote healthy living and the importance of family planning.

Good parenting begins even before conception with proper prenatal care including good nutrition, regular health exams and practicing safe sex to avoid the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases which when left untreated, can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection that causes scarring of the fallopian tubes which can lead to infertility. It is important to protect your health by engaging in protected sexual intercourse, getting tested regularly by your physician and talking with your partner about their current and past sexual history.

To learn more about causes and treatments of infertility or to schedule an appointment, call 239-275-8118 or visit my Web site at DrSweet.com.

Sweet Success Story

The best part of my job is sharing two sweet words, “you’re pregnant!”

After a year and a half of trying to conceive, a young couple came to visit me on the advice of a friend and former patient. After a semen analysis revealed a low count and very poor morphology, we discussed the couple’s chances of becoming pregnant on their ownebsite Automation Center'>Website Automation Center

and their treatment options. Two rounds of insemination and in-vitro fertilization followed. Read more about this couple’s experience and their double success story on www.dreamababy.com

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 239-275-8118.