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March 13, 2013 by Aaron Leave a Comment

Infertility Also Costs the Dairy Industry

infertile dairy cows
Yes, infertility affects cows too.

Okay, so you might be asking why do I have a picture of a cow at the top of this post. Let me explain. Today I was catching up on my Reader backlog and I came across an article that I caught my eye. The article is about how rising infertility rates in our dairy cows is one of the biggest costs the industry faces.

According to the article published at Westernfarmpress.com the conception rate of an average herd in the 1980’s was 50%. That rate has fallen to about 30% in recent surveys. A 20% drop in conception rates in the last 30 years seems fairly dramatic to me and would certainly get me worrying, if I was a dairy farmer. The two main costs in raising dairy cows for milk production have historically been the labor and the feed (thanks Wikipedia!). Now it looks like they might have to add infertility costs to that list.

My first thoughts upon reading this article were what are the farmers doing to their herds that is resulting in this kind of wide reaching infertility? 30 years is a decent amount of time when measured in the lifespans of a dairy cow. If I had more time, and interest, I would certainly want to take a look at what kind of practices the industry has adopted in that time frame to see if some probably causes to this infertility problem could be sorted out.

I have a more holistic view on health and my first thought is that the dairy industry has inadvertently done something to its own herds that are reducing their fertility, or that the quoted 1980 rates were inflated in some manner. I would be very interested to see if they figure out the problem, and if was caused by their own methods to get the cows to produce more milk. The article mentions that the farmers(corporations) want to solve the issue through selective breeding, although I would bet that is just one option they will be pursuing.

As I finished the article, I was curious about human infertility rates have done in that same time frame. To that end I found a good analysis of just that question here. The study looked at the global trends in infertility prevalence since 1990 through the analysis of 277 separate health surveys. They found that infertility rates have remained relatively stable during the last 20 years for both primary infertility (failure to bear your first child) and secondary infertility (inability to have a second child). So even though infertility has become more talked about, and less of a taboo subject (its about time!), there is little evidence that the overall rates are increasing or decreasing. Whew!

I got a little off topic today, but I thought it was an interesting share. Hope you enjoyed it!

Cheers!

Filed Under: Infertility News Tagged With: news

March 6, 2013 by Aaron Leave a Comment

Infertility News

Welcome to the infertility news March 6th post. A section of the site dedicated to keeping you in the loop with the going-ons in the fertility world. I have highlighted a few of the headlines that I came across today. From the serious to the funny you will find my top four of the day below. Enjoy!

Veterans IVF Coverage Bill Gets Another Chance

Veterans whose war injuries prevent them from having children would get coverage from the Department of Veterans Affairs for reproductive treatment options like in vitro fertilization under new federal legislation.

The Women Veterans and Other Health Care Improvements Act of 2013 is authored by Reps. Rick Larsen, D-Washington and Steve Stivers, R-Ohio. It’s similar to a bill introduced last year by Sen. Patty Murray that never made it to the president’s desk…

Turkey ranked 7th worldwide for successful IVF

Professor Bülent Tıraş from the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Gazi University has stated that Turkey ranks seventh in the world for the number of successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures carried out.
Speaking to an Anatolia news agency reporter, Professor Tıraş highlighted that Turkey is very technologically advanced in its IVF treatment, adding that Turkey is the seventh most successful country in the world in IVF after Israel, Belgium, France, Germany, the UK and Spain, in that order.

Highlighting that IVF is being performed successfully in Turkey at centers across the country, Tıraş stated: “The IVF centers serving the country offer a good quality service to their patients. However, there is still a large percentage of the population that does not yet have access to IVF treatment. There are a variety of reasons for this, of which a lack of awareness and misconceptions in the public about IVF are the most prominent. There are still some conservative people who believe resorting to IVF is a sin.”…

Fertility medications recall

According to 23 ABC News on Tuesday, a fertility pharmacy is recalling medications that were shipped to patients in Indiana, and 39 other states. The recall involves the Village Fertility Pharmacy’s recall of the compounded medications for women who are undergoing in vitro fertilization.

Each medication is specifically formulated for each patient and then shipped directly to them. As many know, fertility medications are not cheap, and most insurance companies do not pay for them.

The recall includes the following medications:

• Progesterone Injection Cottonseed Oil 50 MG/ML
• Progesterone Injection Olive Oil 50 MG/ML, 100 MG/ML
• Progesterone Injection Sesame Oil 50 MG/ML, 100 MG/ML
• Progesterone Injection Ethyl Oleate 50 MG/ML, 100 MG/ML
• Hydroxy Progesterone Caproate 250 MG/ML
• Compounded Leuprolide Acetate 1MG/.2ML

The company issued the recall because of a reported tainted vile.

The Most Ridiculous Infertility Gimmick Yet: ‘Snowballs’ — Freezable Underwear For Men

n my years trying to conceive a child, I was pitched about a variety of supposed cures for infertility. I heard tips and tricks from every couple I knew. I received countless emails telling me that my long wait and struggle were over. From special diets to stomach-churning supplements, I’ve heard all about the miraculous inventions that non-doctors come up with. But none have been as ridiculous as this latest gimmick, ‘Snowballs,’ the male under-carriage cooling underwear.

Snowballs are exactly what you’re imagining in your head. It’s a couple sets of briefs with a gel pack that your husband throws in the freezer and then wears around between his legs. Because increased temperature is a factor in male infertility, this crude system just keeps your guy’s guys nice and chilly, hopefully helping their sperm count and mobility

That’s all for today folks. I hope you have a fantastic Wednesday!

Filed Under: Infertility News Tagged With: news

March 4, 2013 by Aaron Leave a Comment

The Bitter Pill: The Times Article on Health Care Costs That You Need to Read

The Bitter PillIf you haven’t taken the time to read the new Times article on health care costs you should really do so. It is an expose on our nation’s health care system written by Steven Brill. I warn you, it is very long about 24,000 words (the longest article ever published by The Times, in fact). With tons of anecdotes and mountains of data it shows how for-profit hospitals and health care companies are practically robbing us blind. So you might want to set aside a bit of time to work through it. It will open your eyes…

Here are a few snippets from the article.

When we debate health care policy, we seem to jump right to the issue of who should pay the bills, blowing past what should be the first question: Why exactly are the bills so high?

What are the reasons, good or bad, that cancer means a half-million- or million-dollar tab? Why should a trip to the emergency room for chest pains that turn out to be indigestion bring a bill that can exceed the cost of a semester of college? What makes a single dose of even the most wonderful wonder drug cost thousands of dollars? Why does simple lab work done during a few days in a hospital cost more than a car? And what is so different about the medical ecosystem that causes technology advances to drive bills up instead of down?

If you are confused by the notion that those least able to pay are the ones singled out to pay the highest rates, welcome to the American medical marketplace.

The difference between the regulatory environment in the U.S. and the environment abroad is so dramatic that McKinsey & Co. researchers reported that overall prescription-drug prices in the U.S. are “50% higher for comparable products” than in other developed countries. Yet those regulated profit margins outside the U.S. remain high enough that Grifols, Baxter and other drug companies still aggressively sell their products there. For example, 37% of Grifols’ sales come from outside North America.

More than $280 billion will be spent this year on prescription drugs in the U.S. If we paid what other countries did for the same products, we would save about $94 billion a year. The pharmaceutical industry’s common explanation for the price difference is that U.S. profits subsidize the research and development of trailblazing drugs that are developed in the U.S. and then marketed around the world. Apart from the question of whether a country with a health-care-spending crisis should subsidize the rest of the developed world — not to mention the question of who signed Americans up for that mission — there’s the fact that the companies’ math doesn’t add up.

The article has many examples of the madness that is our health care system. Routine double billing and overcharges on basic items is the norm. Huge profit margins in non-profit hospitals and CEO and administrators making hundreds of thousands or even millions to run them. What you will read will undoubtedly have you wanting to beat your head in the wall about the sheer scope of what is considered good business in healthcare.

Here is Brill conclusion, that sums things up pretty well.

Obamacare does some good work around the edges of the core problem. It restricts abusive hospital-bill collecting. It forces insurers to provide explanations of their policies in plain English. It requires a more rigorous appeal process conducted by independent entities when insurance coverage is denied. These are all positive changes, as is putting the insurance umbrella over tens of millions more Americans — a historic breakthrough. But none of it is a path to bending the health care cost curve. Indeed, while Obamacare’s promotion of statewide insurance exchanges may help distribute health-insurance policies to individuals now frozen out of the market, those exchanges could raise costs, not lower them. With hospitals consolidating by buying doctors’ practices and competing hospitals, their leverage over insurance companies is increasing. That’s a trend that will only be accelerated if there are more insurance companies with less market share competing in a new exchange market trying to negotiate with a dominant hospital and its doctors. Similarly, higher insurance premiums — much of them paid by taxpayers through Obamacare’s subsidies for those who can’t afford insurance but now must buy it — will certainly be the result of three of Obamacare’s best provisions: the prohibitions on exclusions for pre-existing conditions, the restrictions on co-pays for preventive care and the end of annual or lifetime payout caps.

Put simply, with Obamacare we’ve changed the rules related to who pays for what, but we haven’t done much to change the prices we pay.

When you follow the money, you see the choices we’ve made, knowingly or unknowingly.

Over the past few decades, we’ve enriched the labs, drug companies, medical device makers, hospital administrators and purveyors of CT scans, MRIs, canes and wheelchairs. Meanwhile, we’ve squeezed the doctors who don’t own their own clinics, don’t work as drug or device consultants or don’t otherwise game a system that is so gameable. And of course, we’ve squeezed everyone outside the system who gets stuck with the bills.

We’ve created a secure, prosperous island in an economy that is suffering under the weight of the riches those on the island extract.

And we’ve allowed those on the island and their lobbyists and allies to control the debate, diverting us from what Gerard Anderson, a health care economist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, says is the obvious and only issue: “All the prices are too damn high.”

For a little more levity on the situation you can watch Steven Brill on a recent daily show. Daily Show (link for the full episode)

Filed Under: insurance Tagged With: health care cost, insurance

February 28, 2013 by Aaron Leave a Comment

5 Ways You Can Save on Your Healthcare Costs

IVF costs
These simple tricks can save you hundreds on your health care costs
Everyone knows that health care can be expensive. Even if you have decent insurance, those trips to the doctor can add up quickly. Figure in some diagnostic testing and medication or two… well, you get the picture. Even with skyrocketing costs, it is possible for you, the patient, to save money on your health care, without cutting any corners. Below, I list 5 ways that you can save money on your healthcare costs. I hope you find them useful.

Use the internet (with care!) for medical advice

Google is your friend. The internet is full of great information about health problems. The most important thing is to know when you should seek medical care and when it is OK to stay home. some things like abdominal pain could be a range of conditions ranging from temporary ailments like heartburn or food poisoning, to serious conditions where delay can just cause more problems. Don’t be afraid to do some research on your condition, just take it all with a grain of salt and use your head! If you think it might be serious it is better to error on the side of caution and get it checked out by a professional. While skipping a few doctor’s visits will save you money, not going and then having your codition worsen will just lead to more doctors visits and higher medical bills. One good source of information on basic family medicine is The Family Doctor, a site maintained by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Remember to use reputable sites for your information. Sites maintained by professional organizations or doctors offices are always good bets.

Make the most out of every visit to the Doctors

Lets face it, going to see a doctor is expensive. So whenever you need to see your doctor it is best to be prepared for the visit. Things like having your symptoms all written down, with details like when each happened, and in what order can be very helpful for your doctor to accurately diagnose your condition. By writing all this important information down before hand you can be sure to have it all for your doctor when you go in for your visit. Often, especially with more complex symptoms, it can be easy to forget a minor detail about this or that. Seeing a doctor can be stressful for some people, and that stress can cause them to forget something about their ailment. What they forget, or the minor detail left out, could be just what your doctor needs to nail down a diagnosis. Often one of the most important tools available to doctors in their effort to obtain an accurate diagnosis is what you tell them. Making you you present the whole story in full detail can save you from unnecessary diagnostic poking and prodding, all of which costs more money.

Ask questions

This is one of the most important things you can do to help save yourself money at the doctors office, be it for infertility treatment, or at your family doc, is to ask questions. A lot of doctors are very busy, and they might recommend testing or prescriptions that are more expensive than necessary or fail to take the time to fully explain why the more expensive test is important. By simply asking them if the test is really required, you can get the pros and cons of the decision and use those to better analyze if you really need that test to be done. Often if you just mention that you are concerned with costs and ask if there are any less expensive options available, they will offer less expensive testing, or even say that the test is not 100% required… imagine that. Asking these questions of your doctor is very important to making sure you get the care you need and not the care you don’t. Besides, it is your health and you should be proactive!

Reduce unnecessary and duplicate testing

It is your health, you should be proactive enough to have personal copies of all your health records. When you switch doctors or see multiple specialists for different conditions it is important that each doctor has your complete medical record. Keeping and sharing your complete medical records can save you from repeated tests ordered by your new physician, or a test ordered by a specialist that you already had done last year and don’t need it repeated yet.

Primary care doctors

Having a good primary care doctor can save you money. Health care is confusing. Being bombared by adverts on television about this medication or that condition can fill patient’s heads with all kinds of ideas, and conflicting thoughts about whether they should be taking X or they need to get Y test done… Having a primary care doctor that you can go through to coordinate your care can be invaluable. They can act as stewards to your health and make sure you are getting the care you need and not anything more. They are your health experts. Use them as such.

Optimize your prescriptions

You can save money on your prescription medications by using a few simple tricks. First, and foremost, the most important thing you can do is to shop around. Price compare your medications between pharmacies. Medication prices can vary immensely, think 5x to 10x, from pharmacy to pharmacy. By calling around and talking to either the pharmacist or pharmacist tech, you should be able to get quotes over the phone. Make sure you have the medication name, strength, and quantity before you call or you could end up comparing apples to oranges. Next, if you are taking combo pills, medications with two or more active ingredients, you can often save a bundle by purchasing them separately. If you are not sure you are taking a combo pill, ask Google, or your doctor. Lastly, be sure to apply the tips above as well. If you have access to your medical records make sure you aren’t taking a medication that was ineffectual in the past. Also, ask you doctor if a generic version would be appropriate.

With a little common sense and being a proactive patient it is possible for you to save on your health care costs. Asking questions and shopping around can be powerful tools in your money saving arsenal.

Cheers!

Filed Under: paying for fertility, Saving Money Tagged With: money saving tips

February 27, 2013 by Aaron

IVF in the News Feb 27

Today, I don’t have the time to write up a full post so I thought I would share a few infertility news stories I found interesting. I also threw in a IVF blog at the bottom for a little variety. Happy Humpday!

Multiple live births not strikingly high after IVF | Modern Medicine

www.modernmedicine.com11/19/12

Epidemiology. Last Updated: 2012-11-19 16:20:01 -0400 (Reuters Health). By David Douglas. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Following in vitro fertilization (IVF) the risk of multiple live births is relatively low, according to …

 

Cost of IVF — Fertility Treatments – Parenting.com

www.parenting.com2/4/13

With the average cost of IVF around $12,000, fertility treatments can drain your savings, even putting parenthood out of financial reach for many. But now some couples are asking friends and family to pitch in. Deposit a Gift …

(I wrote a post talking about this service and a few other similar ones)

Human-rights court orders world’s last IVF ban to be lifted : Nature …

blogs.nature.com12/28/12

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ordered the only country in the world that completely prohibits in vitro fertilization (IVF) to lift its ban. (the country is Costa Rica, and good for them for reforming!)

 

Our IVF Journey: All the fun of living life with twins: B’s Egg Sharing …

www.twinmummyanddaddy.com2/20/13

B’s Egg Sharing IVF Journey. Part 3. Hitting a brick wall. Following on from last weeks post, B is back to share with us her egg sharing IVF journey. To read last weeks post, please click here. Well, today has been a pretty bad …

 

Well that is all I have time for today. Happy Wednesday!!

Cheers!

Filed Under: Infertility News Tagged With: ivf, news

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