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Growing Number Of Practices Offering Financing For Fertility Treatments

By Michelle Durham

CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) -- The high cost and varying insurance coverage can put fertility treatments out of reach for many young couples anxious to start a family. A growing number of fertility specialists are offering financing, but does that pose an ethical issue for the physician?

Cooper University Hospital Dr. Anthony Mazzarelli is uniquely qualified to answer this question. In addition to his work as an Emergency Room physician, Mazzarelli is also an attorney and bioethicist.

"I think the answer is that it's okay," he says. "It's a service that is being provided and people pay for services. I also think that payment plans would really offer this service to a larger group of people then if you had people pay up front."

Dr. Anthony Mazzarelli is not at all surprised local fertility clinics would offer this option, as physicians in this line of work are so passionate about what they do.

"They are creating life where life has been hard to create," he says. "It makes sense to be passionate about that and their patients are passionate about it too."

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Dr. Anthony Mazzarelli (credit: Cooper University Hospital)

Dr. Mazzarelli says a growing number of couples may be in need of these payment plans because the Affordable Care Act doesn't mandate insurance coverage for fertility treatments.

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