Economic and Social Impact of Protection Against Light Exposure During In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in Hungary
Moderator
Imre Boncz, MSc, PhD, MD, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
Speakers
Dalma Pónusz-Kovács, MSc, University of Pécs, Budapest, Hungary; Tímea Csákvári, MSc; Luca F Kajos, MASc, MSc, University of Pécs, Doctoral School of Health Sciences, BUDAPEST, Hungary; Diána Elmer, BSc, MSc, PhD, University of Pécs, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pécs, Hungary; Róbert Pónusz, MSc, PhD; Katalin Gombos; Gábor Kovács L.; Kálmán Kovács; Ákos Várnagy; Krisztina Gödöny; Péter Mauchart; József Bódis
OBJECTIVES: Earlier studies revealed the damaging effect of visible light on human embryo development. The aim of our analysis is to assess the economic effects of light exposure protection during in vitro fertilization (IVF) by considering health insurance expenditures.
METHODS: We determined the number of blastocysts resulting from stimulation performed with and without light protection per patient and per stimulation. We determined the incidence and form of care of severe and moderate hyperstimulation syndrome in outpatient and inpatient care. The clinical data used for the analysis come from a review of international literature. The price and reimbursement of drugs; laboratory and imaging diagnostics, hospital in- and outpatient treatment costs were calculated according to the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration (NEAK) schemes.
RESULTS: The average blastocyst number during one stimulation of a patient was 2.7-times higher with light protection than without (1.58 versus 0.59). The average cost of stimulation was 218,642 Hungarian Forint-HUF (555 USD). The treatment cost was 6,117 HUF (16 USD) for moderate hyperstimulation syndrome, while it was 103,664 HUF (263 USD) for severe cases. The number of stimulations required for the 5 publicly funded IVF procedures was 3.2 with light protection, and 8.4 without. Calculated per 10,000 patients, the cost savings from stimulation is 11.478 billion HUF (29.2 millionUSD): in the case of light protection (6.9 billion HUF; 17.5 millionUSD) compared to the lack of light protection (18.4 billion HUF; 46.7 millionUSD). Using light protection, the cost of care for severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome cases can be reduced by 83.2 million HUF (211,467 USD) annually and by 32.2 million HUF (81,585 USD) for moderate cases, due to the reduction in the number of stimulations.
CONCLUSIONS: Using light protection, health insurance expenditures in Hungary can be reduced by 11.593 billion HUF (29.5 millionUSD) annually.
METHODS: We determined the number of blastocysts resulting from stimulation performed with and without light protection per patient and per stimulation. We determined the incidence and form of care of severe and moderate hyperstimulation syndrome in outpatient and inpatient care. The clinical data used for the analysis come from a review of international literature. The price and reimbursement of drugs; laboratory and imaging diagnostics, hospital in- and outpatient treatment costs were calculated according to the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration (NEAK) schemes.
RESULTS: The average blastocyst number during one stimulation of a patient was 2.7-times higher with light protection than without (1.58 versus 0.59). The average cost of stimulation was 218,642 Hungarian Forint-HUF (555 USD). The treatment cost was 6,117 HUF (16 USD) for moderate hyperstimulation syndrome, while it was 103,664 HUF (263 USD) for severe cases. The number of stimulations required for the 5 publicly funded IVF procedures was 3.2 with light protection, and 8.4 without. Calculated per 10,000 patients, the cost savings from stimulation is 11.478 billion HUF (29.2 millionUSD): in the case of light protection (6.9 billion HUF; 17.5 millionUSD) compared to the lack of light protection (18.4 billion HUF; 46.7 millionUSD). Using light protection, the cost of care for severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome cases can be reduced by 83.2 million HUF (211,467 USD) annually and by 32.2 million HUF (81,585 USD) for moderate cases, due to the reduction in the number of stimulations.
CONCLUSIONS: Using light protection, health insurance expenditures in Hungary can be reduced by 11.593 billion HUF (29.5 millionUSD) annually.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-05, ISPOR 2025, Montréal, Quebec, CA
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S1
Code
EE42
Topic
Economic Evaluation
Topic Subcategory
Budget Impact Analysis, Cost/Cost of Illness/Resource Use Studies
Disease
SDC: Reproductive & Sexual Health