Online Pricing in Urology: The Example of Male Fertility Care.

INTRODUCTION

Health care prices in the United States are often opaque to providers and patients while prices of nonhealth care services are displayed prominently across the Internet. Posting prices online will soon be a national requirement for hospitals, including for urological care. Male infertility care is rarely covered by insurance so many providers have developed cash prices to assist their patients. Expected success rate is also of interest to patients. The online availability of this information is unknown.

METHODS

Membership databases of the Society for the Study of Male Reproduction and Society for Male Reproduction and Urology were searched to identify U.S. based clinical urologists. Websites were found with Google and analyzed for infertility services provided, prices and success rates. Specifically, websites were reviewed for information on any infertility care, vasectomy, vasectomy reversal, varicocele, sperm retrieval or microscopic testicular sperm extraction.

RESULTS

A total of 222 individual providers were identified of which 204 had associated websites. Information about general male infertility services was readily available (85%), while specific procedures were described on 66% of websites or lower. Pricing information was available on 7.4% (15) of websites. Success rates were most frequently described for vasectomy reversal (23%). Pricing and success rates were more commonly found for private practice or personal websites.

CONCLUSIONS

Pricing and success rates for male infertility are uncommonly listed on websites for U.S. male infertility providers. Several barriers may contribute including institutional policies and lack of physician input on website content. As pricing online becomes required, hospitals and likely urology practices will need to provide this information publicly.