As private equity moves into fertility care, questions grow over cost, access

Private equity investment in fertility clinics rose nearly tenfold from 2013 to 2023, bringing resources for modernization but raising questions about impacts on cost, access and quality of care. A JAMA analysis says clinics tied to private equity firms now account for a large share of in vitro fertilization services across the United States. Fertility clinics affiliated with private equity firms are geographically distributed across the country but are heavily concentrated in California and the East Coast. Noting that infertility affects one in eight reproductive-aged women, JAMA says ongoing research should assess whether the shift toward private equity benefits patients or exacerbates disparities in reproductive health services.