Substantial Uptick Seen in Private Equity-Affiliated Fertility Clinics Since 2013

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 7, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Since 2013, there has been substantial growth in the number of private equity-affiliated fertility clinics, according to a research letter published online Dec. 30 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.Jesper Ke, M.D., from Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues examined contemporary trends in private equity affiliations with U.S. fertility clinics through 2023. The analysis included 621 U.S. fertility clinics listed in the 2013 to 2022 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Assisted Reproductive Technology Success Rates reports. Private equity affiliations were assessed through merger and acquisition reports from four data sources (2013 to 2023).The researchers found that over time, 28.3 percent of fertility clinics had a private equity affiliation by the end of 2023. In 2013, 17 clinics were private equity-affiliated, and they performed 13.3 percent of all in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. By the end of 2023, 163 clinics (32.1 percent) were private equity-affiliated, and they performed 54.0 percent of all IVF cycles in the United States in 2023. Half or more of the fertility clinics in 14 states (Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia) and Washington, D.C., were affiliated with private equity by the end of 2023, and it was estimated they would perform 63 to 100 percent of all IVF cycles in these states in 2023."Given how prevalent the business model is, we need to do more research and understand the benefits and risks -- like the quality of care, cost of care, access to care -- are they better or are they worse?" coauthor James M. Dupree, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, said in a statement.Two authors disclosed ties to industry.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Substantial Uptick Seen in Private Equity-Affiliated Fertility Clinics Since 2013

Related Stories